


Siren Song

by buckyismymainman



Series: After Effects Series [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky's worried Steve's worried everyone is literally worried about their precious little bean, F/M, Fluff, In case I forgot to mention Mina's like 5'3? so she's smol, Language, She had a bomb of info dropped on her last time, The gangs all here and they're not doing to hot, Violence, Well Mina's not doing to hot can you blame her though, more angst than fluff probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-18 21:36:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15495174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckyismymainman/pseuds/buckyismymainman
Summary: Mina is learning to deal with the news that she was experimented on while she was still in her mother's womb.  Meant to be a weapon to take over the world with her Siren-like abilities.  With the help of Wanda and the others she is training to hone in her abilities, but will things work out in her favor?Bucky is worried about Mina, and wants to help her, but there's only so much that he can do.  But he knows that no matter what happens he's going to stand beside Mina and help her through whatever The Enclave throws at her.





	1. Chapter 1

Bucky hated seeing the people he loved in pain.  Especially his girlfriend Mina. They had been seeing one another for about a month and a half now, but it hadn’t been a bed of roses.  In that time she had discovered she was an experiment of four mad scientists who liked to call themselves ‘The Enclave’. They wanted to use Mina as a weapon to take over the world.

Mina had been struggling with that revelation ever since she learned about it.  And Bucky tried being there for her as best as he could.

Right now he was watching her train with Wanda.  Her powers were growing, and she was becoming scared of them the more she learned.  Her body was engulfed in the turquoise flames that use to just in engulf her hands, her eyes trained on several dummies.  Each one of them erupting into the same turquoise flames as he body.

“How's she doing?”  Bucky heard his best friend Steve Rogers approach.  Everyone at the compound was worried about Mina.

“As well as one can when learning you have a serum running through you that makes you special.”  Bucky had been right where Mina was when he had started remembering things. When he learned HYDRA had saved him and turned him into their own personal super soldier.  The exact opposite of Steve who became Captain America.

“She’s still not doing well then,” Steve sighed.  It had been a month since he had seen her carefree smile.  Heard her pick on Sam, Pietro, or Peter.

“She can’t keep going like this Steve, she’s closing herself off, even from me.”  Steve could hear the pain in Bucky’s voice.  “I don’t know how to make it better.”

“We keep trying until we figure that out,” he said.  “Right now she’s in her head. We have to help her out of her head.  She’s too worried about the ‘what ifs’. What if I’m captured? What if I hurt someone I love?”  He folded his arms across his chest. “We need to make her see that she’ll be all right.”

“Has Shuri learned anything from the blood sample?”  When Shuri had arrived Bruce Banner had let Shuri take over his lab at the compound.  No one wanted to get in her way as she worked to help Mina.

“No, she’s still trying to decode what the serum was made from.  It’s different from what we were injected with obviously. Shuri’s stumped as to how a serum could give Mina these powers.”  Bucky knew that Shuri was growing frustrated as well as she worked to solve the mystery of Mina’s abilities.

“We need more info on her.  We need those files that were destroyed when the bomb went off.”

They had had Scott shrink the boxes down, but they couldn’t get them all.  Steve had pulled Bucky from the building just as the bomb was about to explode.  Bucky could sometimes still feel the heat ghosting over his skin.

“We’ll get it.  Natasha and the others should be back any day now from the other labs.”  They had decided it was best if they run smaller mission groups to the labs, some of the members would stay behind and watch over Mina while the others tried to get more information.  So far they had hit about three different bases, but had come up empty.

All they had discerned from their outings was that Mina was the weapon these scientists were working on.

“Maybe it was a mistake letting her expand her powers like this,” Bucky started to say.  “Maybe this is what they want. They want her to be more powerful before they take her back and use her.”

“We’ve all already talked this over and we agreed it was best for Mina to get control over this.  The stronger she is the better she’ll be able to protect herself from an attack.” Steve turned to face his friend.  “Go get her and take the day off. Do something fun, get her away from the compound. The two of you could use it. I’ll have Sam keep an eye on things from above to alert you if something is off.”

Bucky knew his friend was right.  The two of them did need a day away from the compound, away from training.  He pushed open the door that led out to the training grounds. Wanda noticed him immediately and told Mina to stop.  When the flames were gone she turned to face Bucky.

There was a little smile on her face, one reserved only for him.  “Come to take over training?”

Bucky was one of her other trainers, he helped her with hand to hand, but also with weapons.  “Not today doll, Steve has given you the rest of the day off. Come with me, we’re going to do something fun.”

He held out his hand and she took it.  She said her goodbyes to Wanda as the two of them headed inside to put on civilian clothes.  “So what are we going to do?” The curiosity in her voice made him happy.

“And ruin the surprise?”  He grinned at her. “I don’t think so doll.  You’ll just have to wait and see.”

She dressed quickly and followed Bucky out to his car.  He drove her to the town where the compound was located and pulled into the parking lot of a Barnes & Noble.  She sat there quietly just staring up at the name before a real smile took over. She shook her head and laughed, “Oh James Buchanan Barnes, you really do know how to cheer a girl up.”

He kissed her cheek, “Of course I do, I know how much you love books.  Come on, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

“Famous last words,” she told him.  “You’re going to be broke by the time I leave here.”

He cupped her cheek, “As long as you’re smiling again, I don’t care.”

The pained look on his face broke her heart.  She had let her confusion, anger, sadness, and frustrations consume her that she hadn’t thought about what it might be doing to him.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize.”  He wished he could hold her, but cars made that a little hard.  “I know what you’re going through isn’t easy. Take all the time you need to be okay again.”

They got out of the car and walked into the store together.  The smell of books and coffee instantly relaxing Mina. It had been far too long since she had last been in a bookstore.  She forgot how comforting the presence of books could be. She headed over to Starbucks first and grabbed a vanilla bean frappuccino and true to his word Bucky paid for it.

Once their orders were called Bucky told her he would wait there for her and give her some space to browse.  She grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her saying that she needed a pair of strong arms to carry all the books he was going to buy her.

They walked through the different sections together, Mina pointing out her favorites and picking up some new ones by her favorite authors.  When she was all done, Bucky had about five books stacked up.

“Is that all?”  He asked a little baffled.

Mina smiled at him, “As much as I appreciate you offering to buy out the store for me, I’m not going to get a ton of books.”

He wasn’t going to argue with her, not because he didn’t want to spend more, but because he knew that she wasn’t going to get anything else while here.  They paid for the books and headed back out to the car.

Mina thought they would be heading home, but Bucky turned off at the wrong exit.  “Buck, you missed the exit.”

“Did I?”  He glanced over at her and grinned.  “The day is still young doll, we’re not done yet.”

It took her a minute to realize they were going to see her parents.  She hadn’t seen them since Bucky had brought them to the compound after her disastrous dinner with them.  She hadn’t even told them about what she had learned, and she wasn’t going to. She didn’t need her parents knowing that the doctor that had saved her life had turned her into a weapon to be used when she was older.

Her parents were so happy to see her, and her dad greeted Bucky cordially, both of them at an understanding with each other.  Bucky took care of Mina, and Marcus Gaspari kept his comments to himself.

They cleared a table and sat down to have a pizza with her parents where Mina momentarily forgot about what was going on in her life.  Once dinner was over Marcus made some extra pizzas that they could take back with them for the others.

Mina kissed her parents and headed back out to the car with the boxes in hand.  Bucky opened the back door for her and once she had placed the boxes safely in the backseat of the car she turned to Bucky and said, “Thank you for today.  I think this is the most normal I’ve felt since finding out what those men did to me.”

“I figured as much,” he told her.  “If you ever need another day like this just say the word and I’m all yours.”

Mina’s heart swelled in her chest, he was always looking out for her, putting her first.  She was thankful for him. And she had only just started to realize she was falling hopelessly in love with him.

 

That night when Bucky got out of the shower Mina curled up beside him and placed a kiss on his chest.  They had only recently moved in together, both of them thinking it was ridiculous keeping two separate rooms when they were always together."

“I want to train with you tomorrow,” she told him as they laid there together.  “I want to take a break from using my powers or hand to hand. I want to work with weapons.”

“That we can do, doll.  I’ll get up bright and early and get ready for you.”

“No, I want a lazy morning with you.  Training can wait until the afternoon after lunch.”  She held him a bit tighter. “Today was a good day, and I just want to hold onto it for a little bit longer, and lounging with you in bed all morning sounds like a perfect way to do so.”

Bucky chuckled, “Your wish is my command.”  He tilted her face up so that he could kiss her on the lips.  She ran her fingers through his hair as he slipped underneath her shirt, she giggled slightly as his metal fingers tickled her sensitive skin.

“Every time,” she said as she pulled away to look at him.

He smirked, “It’s cute.”

“You like knowing you can torture me because I’m so ticklish,” she said with a mock frown.

“Maybe,” he admitted with a sly look.  He rolled so that he was on top of her.  “But I like hearing your laughter most of all.”  He bent down and placed a quick kiss on her lips before trailing them down her neck.

“No bruises James,” she scolded as he gently nipped at her sensitive skin.  “If I have to endure one more day of teasing,” she threatened.

He pushed her shirt up so that he could kiss her stomach.  “Take all the fun out of it would you?” He grinned up at her.

She rolled her eyes at him, “I swear sometimes I wonder how old you really are because you don’t act like a hundred year old man.”  He pinched her thigh, “Ow, James!”

He kissed the spot he pinched, Mina squirmed a little under his touch.  “Wanna run that by me again?”

She rolled her eyes, “No.”

He snorted and moved back up her body and kissed her again.  “Get some sleep.” He gave her a wicked grin.

“I hate you sometimes James,” she said as she glared at him.  “You’re such a tease.”

“I know,” was his soft response as he shut the light off.  As he settled into bed and pulled her against him, Mina knew that this meant war.


	2. Chapter 2

Mina held the gun up, taking aim at the target placed in front of her, and squeezing the trigger just like Bucky had taught her.  The sound of the shot fired reverberated through the room. Mina didn’t know how Bucky managed to stay so still once he had fired a gun, she flinched every time.  He told her it took practice and that she needed to get used to the weapon in her hands.

“Better,” Bucky commented as he brought the paper target forward.  “Your aim has definitely improved.” 

She had hit close to the center of the target.  Bucky was trying to see how well she would do hitting each section of the target, teaching her how to properly aim.  Only one of her bullets had missed the mark. “I think I’m still too scared of guns,” she admitted a bit sheepishly. “They’re intimidating.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being frightened of them.  It means you’ll take more precautions before using one which is never a bad thing.”  He took the gun from her and checked the bullets, she still had a few left in the clip.  “Wanna take a break?”

She nodded and headed over to the little bench to get a drink of water.  Bucky sat beside her and began cleaning one of the sniper rifles. She watched as he worked methodically, it was almost like he was in a trance-like state.  “Do you like cleaning your weapons?”

Bucky looked over at her, the rifle in his hands momentarily forgotten as he considered her question.  “Sometimes? It used to be meditative for me. Taking them apart, cleaning each piece, and then putting them back together again.”  He returned his attention to the rifle. “Sometimes it’s just a chore I’d rather not do.”

She continued to watch him work.  Today seemed like one of those days where it was meditative for him to clean his weapon.  She could understand why, he had been worried about her. She felt bad, she didn’t want him to worry, but what was she to do?  She just couldn’t seem to pull herself out of the funk she was in.

Every time she thought she had moved passed it another wave would hit her and she felt like she was drowning.

A phone started ringing, bringing her out of her stupor.  She dug around in her gym bag and pulled her cell out to find that T’Challa was calling her.  “Hey, T’Challa.”

“Hello Little Panther, how are we today?”

“I’m okay,” she answered truthfully.  Today she felt good, better than she had in a few weeks.  It was probably because of date day yesterday. “Bucky’s teaching me how to fire a gun today.”

“Hello T’Challa,” Bucky called out.

“Hello Bucky,” Mina relayed the message.  “Okoye would not approve. She thinks guns are primitive.”

“Ah, but alas they are apart of today’s society, and if I get into a situation I’d rather be prepared than sorry.”

“I cannot fault you for that logic, Mina.”  There was a pause. “How is Shuri?”

Mina could tell that he missed his sister.  “She’s good, she’s always in Dr. Banner’s lab working away.  Peter sometimes has to lure her out of there with promises of movies and popcorn.”  It was true, Peter and Shuri’s friendship had grown exponentially since her arrival at the compound, and sometimes only Peter, Bucky, or Mina could draw her out of the lab.

“I’m glad she has friends there.  I do worry about her so much, but I know you all will take good care of her.”

“Of course we will,” Mina promised.  “She’s like family to us.”

Mina and T’Challa talked for a few more minutes before Mina hung up to get back to her lesson with Bucky.

Later that same evening Mina was perched on the counter in the kitchen watching as Bucky fixed one of the pizzas leftover from her parents’ place.  He was bent over peering at it through the glass window of the stove. Mina was admiring the view.

“I can feel you staring,” Bucky said nonchalantly.

“Can you blame me?  You have a nice butt.”  Bucky stood and turned to look at her, an amused look on his face.  “What? You can’t tell me that you don’t stare at my butt when I’m not looking.”

He couldn’t lie, “All right, you caught me.  I check you out too.”

She hummed and hooked her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.  “I assumed as much. I see the looks you give me when I change into my workout clothes.”

“Okay, but don't think I don't know what you're trying to do with those tight pants and sports bras.  You’re trying to torture me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, “I’m just waiting for the day when you can’t take it anymore and keep me from my workout.”  She did put on the tightest workout clothes she could find to torture Bucky, and to see how long he could go without ripping them off.

“Minx,” he whispered.

“You like it,” she whispered back.

“Yeah I do,” he kissed her, moans escaping from both of them.

The doors to the kitchen opened and they heard Tony say, “Not in the kitchen you two, we actually prepare food here.”

Mina turned around and said, “Since when?  That trash can is filled with takeout containers and bags.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, “Vision cooks.”

“For Wanda, about once a month,” Mina shot back.  “Don’t play this game with me, Tony. You will lose.”

Bucky watched the two of them bicker back and forth, relief washing through him.  This is the Mina he wanted to see come out more. The oven timer went off and Bucky pulled out of her grip to pull the pizza out of the oven.

“You wanna slice Tony?”  Bucky offered.

“No thanks, I’m going out with Pepper tonight. Thanks though,” he grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and left with a wave and a warning that there were cameras in the kitchen and he would know if they did anything saucy in the kitchen.

Bucky and Mina moved into the living room where Steve, Wanda, Vision, and Pietro were sitting waiting for them to bring the pizza out.  They turned on a movie and ate in silence. Once the food had been eaten Mina rested her head on Bucky’s lap, his fingers running through her hair.

The others left after the movie ended to go to bed, but Bucky stayed right there letting Mina sleep peacefully.  “Bucky?” She murmured as she began to shift and stretch as she sat up, a yawn escaping her. “What time is it?”

“Don’t know,” he responded truthfully.  “I’ve been letting you sleep. You looked too peaceful.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder, “I’m still sleepy.”

“Can you make it to our room or do I need to carry you?”  He asked in amusement already knowing what she was going to choose.  She crawled into his lap and hooked her arms around his neck. “Well that answers that,” he lifted her up and began carrying her toward their room.

“You opened the floodgates when I learned you had carried me to bed twice back in Wakanda,” she mumbled sleepily.  “This is your own fault.”

“I guess it is,” he responded as he laid her down gently.  “Get some rest, Steve gets you tomorrow and I know for a fact that he is not going to go easy on you.”

She nodded and curled up into a little ball, falling asleep again almost instantly.  

 

Bucky was right, Steve was not going easy on Mina.  She was actually fighting the super soldier. But she was holding her own pretty well.  It was a powers bared kind of fight, but she was getting to a point where fighting was second nature to her.

He threw a punch toward her face which she easily dodged, kicking him in the stomach and sending him stumbling backward.  He regained his balance and game at her again, but this time he feigned a punch and then kicked her legs out.

She landed on her back with an ‘umf’.  Steve stood over her and helped her up.  “You did good, although hand to hand combat was never really an issue for you.”

Mina bent over trying to catch her breath, “Yeah, hand to hand is about as easy as using my powers.”  She stood up and got back into position, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Don’t tell Bucky but I like fighting you better.”

That got Steve to laugh, “Oh I would have thought you’d enjoyed fighting with your boyfriend better.  I feel honored.”

Mina gave him a half smile, “It’s because you don’t hold your punches.  Bucky’s too afraid he’ll hurt me.” Mina and Steve had a rule that when they trained Bucky couldn’t be in the room.  Partly because of the very reason Mina had just brought up, but also because Mina didn’t like having others watch her train when she was doing hand to hand combat.

“It’s the arm isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she admitted.  “He’s still really self-conscious about the thing.”  He was too afraid he’d hurt her with it when they fought one another.

Steve came at her in attack mode, she dipped to the right to avoid the punch he threw.  “It’s understandable.”

“I’ll probably start training with Natasha again when she gets back,” Mina tried to kick Steve, but he jumped out of the way.  “Have you heard from her or any of the others?”

Steve shook his head, “Not since last week, but they should be back any time now.  I’m sure they’re all fine.”

Mina nodded, “I know, it’s just been a few weeks since they’d left and I wondered how they were all doing.”

“Mina, Steve,” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice came over the intercom.  “Shuri would like a word with the two of you in Mr. Banner’s lab.”

“Tell her we’ll be right there,” Steve said as he tossed Mina a towel.

The two of them hurried out of the lab.  “Do you think she found something?” They were practically running down the hall trying to get to the lab as quickly as they could.

“Probably,” Steve responded.  “You know she wouldn’t have sent for us unless there was some kind of news.”

The two of them pushed the doors of the lab open to find Bucky already in the room staring up at the screen Shuri was pointing too.  She looked over at Steve and Mina as they entered the lab. “I have good news,” she announced with a smile, she was bouncing in her seat.  “I haven’t completely figured out the serum yet, but I found out that not all of Mina’s abilities came from it.”

Mina paused, “What?”

Shuri waved her over to where she was sitting.  “Look here.” She pointed to a strand of Mina’s DNA.  “Someone in your family had a genetic mutation. It was dormant, it’s where your fire abilities and such come from.  All the powers that are similar to Wanda’s were in this mutation. It’s been dormant from what I can tell, but when Wladyslav Shinsky started to experiment on you he activated the dormant gene.  It’s one of the reasons you responded so well to the serum.”

Mina stared at the screen a sense of relief washing over her.  “Oh my God,” she whispered.

“You should also have similar abilities to Bucky and Steve because that was the base of the serum they used.  I still don’t know where the invisibility or siren-like qualities came from, but I do know it was whatever they used on you before you were born.”

Bucky wrapped his arm around Mina’s waist, “See doll, not all your gifts are from them.  You were special before they worked on you.”

“Why was the gene dormant?”  Mina asked. “Do you know?”

Shuri shook her head, “Unfortunately I can’t answer that, but without it that serum probably would have killed you, it was never meant to be used on babies like that.”

A weight felt like it had been lifted off of Mina’s shoulders.  She was relieved to hear that not everything she could do had been given to her by the scientists.  She was special on her own. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“Other than that, no.  I just thought you’d like to know that.”  She turned in her seat. “Please tell me that makes you feel better.”

“It does Shuri, thank you.”  She hugged her friend, and then turned to Steve and Bucky.  “Shall we go tell the others the good news?” They were all more than happy to go share it with the others.

Everyone was happy for her, relieved to have some answers at last, and happy to see Mina smiling again.  As her and Bucky picked a quiet corner by the bar he asked, “So how do you really feel?”

“Good,” she said with a nod of her head.  “I’m just relieved that not everything I can do was given to me by them.  It makes me feel a little more like me. If that makes any sense?”

“It does,” he told her.  “You hated the idea that what made you special wasn’t really apart of you, like you were unworthy of it.”  He kissed her palm, “I understand fully, Mina.”

She poured herself some wine and then him some wine the two of them rejoining the group and talking some more with Shuri about how close she was to figuring out how the serum was made.  With this latest discovery she was more invigorated to keep looking than ever.

“You all decided to throw a party without me,” everyone turned to see Natasha leaning on the wall, not a hair out of place.  “Shame on you all.”

“Come on Nat, we’re celebrating finding out that not all of Mina’s powers were given to her by The Enclave,” Steve said.

“I have some news of my own,” she held up a tiny box.  “I found some more files on Project Siren.” Everyone in the room seemed to freeze at those words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends the second chapter of Siren Song, book two in the After Effects series. I'm really excited about working on this one because I already know how to end it. I also have several scenes for the upcoming books picked out and I can't wait for you all to see what I have planned. Also I started watching The Covenant with Sebastian in it today and it's really interesting. I'm going to try and finish it tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

The team gathered around a bank of computers as Natasha inserted a flash drive into the computer.  Mina had some of the physical files resting on her lap as she flipped through them. These weren’t about her, they were just about the project in general.

She had apparently been the only successful test subject so far.  All of the others had died. They had started out on older, female subjects, and then moved on to babies.  It made Mina sick to her stomach.

“They used whatever HYDRA gave them.  They seemed to work together in some aspects,” Shuri said as her eyes scanned the files on her screen.  The others were looking over her shoulder reading them as well. “They experimented much like HYDRA did on Pietro and Wanda until they were able to come up with their own similar formula that would do what they wanted.  They wanted each test subject to have their siren-like abilities.”

Mina put aside her files and looked up, “Have they been successful since me?”

Shuri shook her head, “No, every subject has died.  They didn’t have the mutation like you did to keep them alive.  With you, these men are getting more than they bargained for.”

Mina took in a deep breath and stood up, “Great.”  She turned and exited the room.

Bucky went to go after her, but Steve stopped him, “Give her some room, she needs time to process this.”

Bucky was torn between pulling out of Steve’s grasp and running after Mina or staying put while they continued to go through the files.  In the end he turned back to the computer screens and continued to look over what Natasha had found.

Meanwhile, Mina stepped outside of the compound and took a deep breath of the night air.  She felt like she could breathe a little better out here, not as closed in as before. “Miss Gaspari,” she jumped at the sound of Vision’s voice.  “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

She waved him off, “It’s fine, Vis.”

He stood beside her a bit awkwardly.  “I know that this situation has been particularly troubling for you, and that this is the last thing you expected to learn, but do not let it get you down.”  He told her. “You are stronger than you know.”

She gave him a half smile, “Thank you, Vis.  I know that I’m strong, I’ve learned that since coming here and training, but it’s still scary to know that there are people out there that want to use my abilities.”  She rubbed her hands together. “What was it like when you were given a body?”

Vision was quiet for a moment, contemplating his answer.  “It was… odd. There were so many new experiences and senses that I had to grow accustomed to.  Emotions that I had never felt before. It was daunting at first.”

“Did you ever think it would get better?”

“Yes,” he responded truthfully.  “I knew the things I was going through would not last forever.  We will defeat these men, Miss Gaspari.”

“Vision,” they both turned when they heard Bucky’s voice.  “Wanda wants you.”

Vision nodded and turned back to Mina, “Try not to stress too much.  We are all here for you.”

He went through a wall and Bucky shook his head, “He really does not care for using doors does he?”

Mina shook her head as Bucky pulled her into his arms.  Looking up at him she said, “It must be nice not to have to waste energy opening doors all the time.”

“Must be,” he responded before pecking her on the lips.  “How are you feeling?”

She fell silent, “Okay, I guess.  It bothers me to know that there were so many failed attempts before me, that these other women weren’t strong enough to be able to become what I am.”  She rested her head on his chest, “I’m also curious at how many have survived since I was a success.”

“We’ll find out doll, and we’ll help save them all.  No one should be forced to take another's will away like that.”

“I keep hoping that I’m going to wake up from this nightmare, but I never do,” she admitted.  “I was so happy when I was recruited to be apart of the team, to be able to work beside earth’s mightiest heroes and here I am a burden now.”

“Hey, no.  Don’t think like that.  None of us think you’re a burden.  We’re a family here, and we protect our own.”  He wished there was more he could say to make her feel better.  “Remember the good things like how not all your powers came from a test tube.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t be so hard on myself like this.  It doesn’t help and it will only make things worse.” She was suddenly feeling so drained.  To be honest she had been feeling nothing but drained from the day she learned about where some of her abilities actually came from.

“How about I draw you a bath?”  He offered. “I’ll even add the bubble bath and candles like you like.”

She smiled and held Bucky a little tighter, “Okay, but you have to join me.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

 

Two days later Mina was working on the one ability she had been trying to avoid.

Her Siren Call.

Wanda, Steve, and Bucky all agreed that she should try to see if it would become more powerful.  See how far she could take it. Bucky told her that she could use it on him if it made her more comfortable.  She gave him a worried look, “I don’t know Bucky, how would you feel about that? You’ve already had your free will stripped from you once… I don’t want to trigger you.”

He took her hands and said, “I trust you.”  

Her breath had hitched.  He trusted her enough to let her take his free will away for these exercises.  That meant something to her. She had stood before him in the training room and when he had nodded at her she started summoning those powers she had been pushing down for a month and a half.  “Bucky,” she noticed as his tense muscles started to slowly relax. “Come to me.” He moved forward slowly almost in a zombie-like trance. “Stop.” He froze.

Wanda and Steve were watching from the sidelines in case something went wrong.  Steve hated watching Bucky look like this, but he knew that Mina would never do anything to hurt Bucky.  Wanda was watching with both a sense of awe and dread. If The Enclave had more of them like Mina then they were in deep trouble.  She knew that with Mina’s added abilities that she would be their leader, but it still bothered her that there could be sleeper sirens out there right now working for The Enclave and doing their dirty work.

“Bucky?”  Steve and Wanda felt Mina’s powers retract.  “Bucky?” She stepped closer to him and gently took his hand.  “Oh God, did I go overboard?” She turned to look at Steve and Wanda in horror as Bucky didn’t respond to Mina’s normal voice without the Siren Call.

“Give it a minute, then panic,” Steve said.  “He made need some time to adjust.”

They all stood there in silence waiting to see what Bucky would do.  After another minute he shook his head. “My head feels foggy,” he groaned.  “Doll, I think you went a little overboard.”

Mina let out a little breath and relaxed.  “You had me worried there for a minute Bucky, I didn’t think you were ever coming out of that trance.”

“You’re definitely stronger than that time you were with that guy in Wakanda.  I saw the recordings. Whatever you did with him wasn’t nearly as strong as what you just did.”

“Maybe she wasn’t really trying,” Wanda suggested, shooting Bucky with a look that told him not to scare Mina.  “She wasn’t aware at how powerful her Siren Call would be back then.”

“Well she is stronger,” Steve said.  “Today proved that, we just need to work on control now.  Letting her learn when to use more or less of her Siren abilities.”

“Are you okay?”  Mina asked Bucky as they took a seat against the wall.  “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“No, I’m fine Mina.  I swear, I’m not lying to you.  That was nothing like what HYDRA did to me.  For one I don’t even remember what you made me do.”  Bucky had to admit that lost gap of time was a little scary, but he knew Mina wasn’t using him to do bad things, so he pushed his initial panic to the side.  This was for her benefit and he would do whatever it took to make her feel more comfortable with her powers.

“I’ll try to do it so you remember next time,” she sensed his panic, but she knew he would insist on doing this little exercise again.  “I think I panicked too much which made me use a little too much on you.”

“See, just try to keep a level head and you’ll be fine.”  He pressed a kiss to her exposed shoulder. “And Shuri is currently working on earpieces for us all that way we can avoid being hypnotized by others like you, so we’ll train with those too.”

That brought a smile to Mina’s face.  “I bet Shuri’s having a field day with all of this.  She gets to invent so much more cool things for us now.”

“Oh yes, she’s thrilled.  Especially since Peter is here to help her.”  Peter had arrived that morning and went straight to the lab to help Shuri with her project.

“I’ve been replaced,” Mina gave a dramatic sniffle.  “He used to come see me before doing anything else at the compound.”

Bucky tsked, “Shame on him.”

“I guess he won’t get any of my famous lasagna tonight for dinner,” she said with a laugh.  She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Which I should start fixing soon. Wanna help?”

“Always,” they gathered up their things and headed for the kitchen to make dinner for everyone in the compound.  “You know Tony’s going to have something smart to say about this right?”

“Oh I’m counting on it, but there’s still more takeout containers in the trash than actual food that was prepared in the kitchen.”

Bucky couldn’t wait to see showdown part two tonight at dinner.  He knew Mina wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

As they were preparing dinner Mina kept brushing up against Bucky.  Touching him on the arm or bending over like he had been when he had caught her checking him out.  Bucky knew exactly what she was doing, this was the payback for the other night. Even though it killed him, he kept his mouth shut.  

At dinner, she ran her foot up his leg, and he shot her a glare, but she wasn’t looking at him.  There was a subtle grin on her face as she listened intently to one of Peter’s latest exploits. Bucky leaned over, “I know what you’re trying to do.”

Everyone at the table began laughing and so did Mina, but Bucky had a feeling she was laughing at what he had said.  

Once everyone had gone to bed Mina continued torturing him, but he merely turned out the light, whispered, “Night doll.”  And closed his eyes. He heard her huff and felt the bed move as she shifted her position, her back to him. He bit his lip to keep from chuckling aloud at her annoyance.  He pulled her closer and kissed her neck, “You’re going to have to try harder.”

Goosebumps appeared on her arms, but she stayed silent, she was already working out another plan in her head that she knew would make Bucky give in to temptation. The man had the patience of a saint, but only that could last but for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wrote the end for this book and the beginning of the third, I really hope you won't be mad at me for what I have planned.


	4. Chapter 4

Mina was lying on her bed reading a book when her phone went off.  It had been a few days since Natasha had returned from her mission, and shortly after her arrival Sam came back as well as Scott, but unfortunately they hadn’t been able to uncover anything.  The bases they had gone to had been wiped clean, info, people, everything was just gone, and they didn't know for how long.

Mina unlocked her phone and discovered she had an email from an unknown address.  She reluctantly clicked it and for the first time she saw the man behind the voice that had told her she was a science experiment.

“Hello Miss Gaspari,” he was younger than she thought he would be.  He had dark brown hair and hazel eyes. There was a pleasant smile on his face, but it sent shivers down her spine.  “I’m so glad you decided to open your email. I have a proposition for you. I am giving you a month to come home to me before I send one of your sisters after you, yes we were successful after you, but it took a lot of work.”  Mina didn’t like the idea of another young woman having their freedom stripped away to be one of these Sirens for these men. “If you don’t come of your own volition I will kill your friends, and I don’t want to do that, they make you more cooperative.  Especially Mr. Barnes. I’ve seen how you are with him my darling Siren Song. Come to me and he lives. I will even find a way to bring him into our cause.” Mina frowned, they had hacked into the video feed at the compound. “One month Miss Gaspari, and then we use force to bring you in, and do keep this between us.  Remember, I can see you.” The screen went black and Mina dropped her phone and backed away from it.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. please contact T’Challa for me.  Tell him I need to come to Wakanda and have a word with him.  And please don’t inform the others.”

“All right Mina, is there anything else I can do for you?  Do you wish me to tell Bucky you want to see him?”

“No, keep Bucky away from the room.  Tell T’Challa I’m leaving tonight once all the others are asleep.  I’ll explain everything once I get there.”

“Of course,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. responded.

Mina rushed over to her closet and tugged a bag down.  She dashed around her room and threw clothes and anything she may need for her short mission to Wakanda in and stashed it under the bed so Bucky wouldn’t see it.

About thirty minutes later he came to get her for dinner.  She plastered a smile on her face and followed him down to the dining room where the others were gathered.  She tried to focus on all of them throughout the meal, but her mind wandered back to the email she had received and a pit would form in her stomach.

Bucky noticed that she wasn’t eating much, but didn’t say anything figuring it was just all the stress she had been under as of late.  He gently rested his hand on her thigh to let her know that he was there, and she was all right.

Mina peeked at him, but he was listening intently to something Steve was saying.  

Once dinner had been cleared away she headed to her room to take a shower like normal.  Bucky stepped into the bathroom, “Penny for your thoughts?” He was standing on the other side of the glass watching her facial features, trying to discern what was wrong.

“Just thinking about all the things we need to do,” she responded as nonchalantly as she could.  “Training’s been rough.”

“If we’re pushing you too hard--” he started, but she cut him off.

“It’s fine Bucky, I get why it needs to be so rigorous.”  She turned away from him. He didn’t like the distance she was putting between them.  It felt like a crack had formed in the earth and was widening with each passing minute.

Bucky stripped and stepped into the shower behind her.  The warm water pelted his back as he pulled her closer, “Don’t shut me out, Mina.  Tell me what’s bothering you.”

Silence stretched between them as Mina fought off the urge to cry.  “Just hold me,” she whispered.

They stayed under the spray of water until it ran cold.  Bucky helped her out and dried her off with her towel. They dressed in silence and then as they got into bed Bucky sat so that he was sitting behind her with a brush in hand.  He gently began working the tangles from her hair. Mina’s eyes fluttered shut loving the way his fingers would brush her skin as he gently brushed her hair.

When he was done he bent down and rested his chin on her shoulder, “Please let me in.”

She turned to face him, he could see the tears in her eyes.  “Please just drop it Bucky,” she begged.

He studied her face, but nodded, “All right.”

The two of them curled up, Mina noticeably farther away than usual.  It broke Bucky’s heart, they had been doing so well. She had been teasing him not two days before, so what had changed?

It took him a while to fall asleep, but Mina was ready when he did.  She slipped out of bed and grabbed her bag. She looked back at sleeping Bucky before entering the dimly lit hallway and heading for the landing pad where F.R.I.D.A.Y. had prepared one of the Quinjets for her.

She was almost to the jet when a hand grabbed her.

She whirled around, ready to fight off whoever it was, and discovered Bucky standing there, a devastated look on his face.  “You’re leaving?”

Desperation began to claw its way to the surface, “Bucky, let go of me.”  She didn’t want to have to use her abilities on him.

“Tell me why and I’ll let you go,” he countered.  “You were doing good, but you changed today. What happened?  I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

Mina’s heart was beginning to pound, she could hear her blood rushing.  She was going to have a panic attack. Shinsky could see them, she couldn’t let Bucky get hurt, she couldn’t tell him.  “I just need to go.”

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and turned to run the rest of the way to the Quinjet.  She didn’t breathe until she was safely onboard and in the air.

Bucky stood there watching as she flew away to God only knew where.  “F.R.I.D.A.Y. where is she going?”

“I’m sorry Bucky, but I cannot tell you that.  Mina asked me not to say anything.”

“Do you know why she’s leaving?”  He asked.

“I believe it has something to do with this,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. pulled the video up from Mina’s email, and Bucky watched.  “He threatened your safety and everyone else’s. She wasn’t supposed to say anything, but that did not include me.”

He knew there was possibly only one place Mina would go where she would feel safest.  “F.R.I.D.A.Y. prepare a Quinjet for me. I’m going to Wakanda.”

“Yes, sir.”  She responded.

Bucky went to prepare his own bag and then he went to Steve’s room.  “Steve,” he said through the door. “Can we talk?”

He heard Steve groaning and then his soft footfalls as he padded over to the door.  “What?” His hair was already messy, and he did not look pleased.

“Mina’s left.”  That got Steve to wake up.  “That Shinsky guy sent her an email, threatened all of us if she told.  She’s headed to Wakanda now, thought she could run away without us knowing.  I’m following her. Get F.R.I.D.A.Y. to show you all the video and I’ll get her back here as quickly as I can.”

“Go, I’ll handle things here,” Steve responded.

 

Mina landed in Wakanda and practically threw herself into T’Challa’s arms.  He shushed her as she sobbed into his chest. “I can’t do this,” she sobbed.

“Come on Little Panther, let’s make you some tea,” he pulled her inside the palace and to the kitchen.  No one else was awake, T’Challa assured her that she was free to speak whatever was on her mind without the fear of someone overhearing.

It all came spilling out.  The email, how she had hurt Bucky by lying to him.  How she felt like nowhere was safe for her if they could see her every move.  “I don’t know what to do, I feel like I’m playing right into Shinsky’s hands no matter what I do.  All my training just means there’s less they have to do when they finally capture me.”

“If they capture you,” T’Challa said.

“Not ‘if’ T’Challa, when.  I don’t know if we’d be able to hold our own against them.  And if what he says is true then they have more sirens like me, or at least a little like me.”  She took in a deep breath and rested her forehead against the counter. “I feel like I’m in a Kobayashi Maru.”

“You are not, we’ve faced much worse than this in the past and we overcame it,” T’Challa said.  “You just feel like this is all going wrong because this is your first time facing something to this scale.  This isn’t a group of insurgents hellbent on stealing vibranium, this is an organization of highly intelligent men and it’s a little daunting to be facing something like this.  But you cannot cut the others off, they are there to help you like you’re there to help them.”

She sipped on her tea, he was right.  Of course he was right, but it was still nice to hear him say it.  To tell her things were going to be okay. “Thank you, T’Challa. For letting me come here, for listening to me vent, for comforting me.”

“Of course, you are my friend Mina, and I will do whatever I can to make you feel better.”  He stood up and took her empty teacup. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep? You are safe here, we have some of the best safeguards in the world, The Enclave won’t be able to spy on you here.”

She followed him to the room where she had stayed previously and told her goodnight.  She changed her clothes and crashed against the soft mattress. The adrenaline was finally wearing off and her body was crashing, she would be asleep within minutes.

 

T’Challa got an alert that another aircraft was approaching and he figured that Bucky had followed Mina here.  He met Bucky on the landing pad, his friend looking worried and stressed. “She’s here, she’s safe,” T’Challa informed him.

“Where is she?”

“In her old room, I just dropped her off.  It’s a good thing you followed her, I’m pretty sure she could use you right now.”

Bucky headed down the halls toward her room and found her fast asleep on top of the comforter.  He walked over and wrapped himself around her like a protective cocoon. “Bucky?” She murmured, barely awake.

“Shh, I’m here.  Get some sleep.”

She hummed and then said, “I love you.”

Bucky froze, staring at her in the low light.  He wondered briefly if she would remember this in the morning or if she was too tired to even realize he was actually here.  “I love you too, Mina,” he whispered as he hugged her closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should mention this. The Enclave is a real Marvel villain group. I wanted to use someone that we hadn't seen in the movies like HYDRA (don't worry they're going to show up later). Shinsky and the other three scientists in the group are the actual villains, but I'm not using how they looked in the comics. Also Project Siren was of my own creation, I didn't get that from the comics either, if there actually a Project Siren it is purely coincidental that I'm using it. I don't read the comics (I've only ever read DC comics). So I just thought I'd put this down here.


	5. Chapter 5

“How is she?” Steve asked Bucky the next day when he had called.

Bucky looked over to where Mina was still asleep.  She had been asleep for some time now. “Still asleep, I’m too afraid to wake her.”  He knew she needed the rest. “How are things going over there?”

“Tony’s working on a way to keep them out and to have F.R.I.D.A.Y. alert us if someone has hacked in.  They were good, they’ve been watching her since the moment she stepped foot into the compound.”

“How though?  Tony’s supposed to have some of the best tech in the world.”

“Bucky, we’re talking about a group of men who teamed up with HYDRA and created a serum to create Mina’s siren abilities.  I think we’re past the point of wondering how they’re doing things and more to the point of how do we prevent said things from happening again.”

“All right well keep me posted,” Bucky noticed the way Mina was starting to shift and knew she was about to wake up.  He slipped his phone back into his pocket and rejoined Mina on the bed.

She rolled over and wrapped her arms around Bucky, and then realized that Bucky shouldn’t be here because she had left without him the night before.  Her eyes popped open and she scrambled backward. “What the hell Barnes?!” She shouted as she gripped her chest, her heart felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest.

“Morning, doll,” he smiled at her.  “Or I should say afternoon, you were asleep for a while.”

“How are you in Wakanda?”  She tossed a pillow at his head.  “When someone runs away that doesn’t mean you follow them!”  She tossed another pillow at him which he caught.

He peeked over it, “I know about the video, Mina.”  She froze, her arms ready to launch another pillow at his head.  “I know Shinsky gave you a month to give yourself up, and that he threatened me and the team.”

“You aren’t supposed to know,” she said desperately.  “How…? F.R.I.D.A.Y.,” she growled.

Bucky moved closer to her and pecked her lips, “Yep.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “And you just decided that it would be a good idea to follow me all the way to Wakanda?”

He nodded, “Of course, we’re in this together doll.  And don’t worry about me or the team, technically you didn’t break any rules as you didn’t show us the video.  And Tony is currently working on a way to lock them out of the systems so they can no longer spy on you or any of us.”

Mina hugged the pillow that had been intended as ammunition close to her chest, “You still shouldn’t have followed me.  I would have come back.”

“Really?”  He asked with an eyebrow raised.  “Because last night you looked scared half to death and you looked like you had a crazy idea in your head.  So tell me the truth, after coming here and talking with T’Challa, getting a good night’s rest and breakfast, and telling T’Challa you were going back to the compound because you felt better were you actually going to turn yourself over?”  Her silence was answer enough, “Thought so.”

“Well what else am I supposed to do?”  She asked with a huff. “They said that if I turned myself in you’d guys would be safe.  I’m not naive enough to actually believe that, but if you knew where I was and who I was with it would give you guys some kind of edge.  Maybe keep you safe enough until you came up with a plan.”

“Doll, no.”  He cupped her cheek with his hand and brushed his thumb across her skin.  “That is the dumbest plan I have ever heard.”

“Dumber than Steve going into a HYDRA base alone to save you when you had been captured?  Dumber than Steve turning against the Avengers to keep you safe from the men who wanted to kill you?  I would have been complacent, I could have been a double agent. Or I could have just run away and gone into hiding.”

“Doll, going into hiding wouldn’t have done a damn thing, and I think we both know they would have wiped all traces of me and the team from your mind.”

“Well I was desperate, you don’t know how it feels to be so helpless.  Training day in and day out practically serving yourself up for them on a silver platter.  It’s not a matter of if they’ll get me, but a matter of when.” She stood up and began to pace around the room.  “Better to hand myself over than let there be any bloodshed right away. You can prepare and get me back.”

“Mina, I’m not letting you just hand yourself over to them,” Bucky’s voice was stern.  “That is not an option on the table.”

“But it is!”  She said in exasperation.  “You saw the email, the video.  One month, that’s all we have before they come and take me by force.  You all would have been unprepared, and it would have been my fault.”

“Give us the month to prepare, we’ll be ready for them now.  Come back home, we can stay here for a few days let you wind down from this all, and then we go home.  You don’t turn yourself over and we prepare for their inevitable attack.”

“I don’t know Bucky,” she said hesitantly.

“Please, let’s just do this.”  He didn’t want to let her go, not yet.  Not after last night.

Mina was silent, searching his face.  She knew that he would ask her to stay, it was one of the reasons why she had run last night, that way she didn’t have to deal with him or the others telling her that this was a bad idea, that she shouldn’t do it.

Sighing she dropped her head, unable to look at him any longer.  “Fine, I’ll stay. We’ll prepare and when they come we’ll see what happens.”

Bucky relaxed, he was glad she had agreed.  If she hadn’t then he probably would have kidnapped her and locked up at the compound for her own safety.  “All right, well then we can stay here, regroup, and then head home. Maybe Tony will have everything ready by the time we leave.”

“Yes, one can hope.”  She grabbed her bag and started looking for clean clothes.  “I’m going to take a shower, you try and find breakfast for us.”  He left a bit reluctantly and she entered the shower.

 

T’Challa and Bucky watched Mina throughout the day.  Both of them were worried that she may try and make a break for it.  

“I figured she may try to do something stupid.  She’s cracking under all the pressure she’s dealing with,” T’Challa said as they looked at the monitors.  Mina was currently in the library curled up on the couch reading a book.

“I should have known they would do something like this.  They’ve been silent for over a month now, it was bound to happen.  I thought when Shuri gave her the news about her powers things would get better, but I guess I was just fooling myself.”

“You can get back to the place she was at before this all happened,” T’Challa promised.  

Bucky fell silent, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do.  “What if she’s right? What if they do take her away?”

“Then you will get her back,” T’Challa said simply.  “Do not think for one second that I don’t believe that you won’t get her back.  Because I see how you look at her. You flew all the way here to be with her, to protect her.”

“Not that she really needs protecting,” Bucky said with a chuckle.  “I’m pretty sure she could kick my ass.”

“Oh definitely, you’re so much older than her,” T’Challa joked.

Bucky rolled his eyes and playfully pushed T’Challa.  “Whatever man.”

Meanwhile, Mina was reaching a good point in her book when her phone buzzed.  She looked down and saw she had an email from the unknown sender. Her breath caught in her throat.  She clicked it and another video message from Shinsky.

“My darling Siren Song, you left the compound.  Don’t think I don’t know where you are, you fled to Wakanda.  I can’t see you there, smart. And your friends’ AI showed them the video I sent so now they are working on keeping me out.  Shame really. The offer is still on the table. You come to us before the month is up or we come and forcibly remove you no matter where you are.  Even if you are in Wakanda, but I’m pretty sure you don’t want to ruin the safe space you have there, do you?” He grinned maliciously at her. “Head home my Siren Song.  We’ll be waiting to see what you decide.”

The doors to the library banged open and Bucky and T’Challa came rushing in.  “Did you get another video?” Bucky asked as he dropped down in front of her.

She nodded and handed her phone over to him so that he could see the video she had received.  She looked at T’Challa on the verge of tears, “I’m so sorry.”

Bucky and T’Challa both watched the video, Bucky’s jaw clenched tightly together.  He wanted to break the phone in two, but he restrained himself. “We’re heading back to the compound,” he announced when the video was over.

Mina nodded, feeling a bit numb inside, “All right.”

He went to get their things while Mina stayed in the library with T’Challa.  “None of this is your fault, you have to remember that,” he told her.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this too,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t drag me into anything, and just so you know the minute the month is up I will be there to help defend you and the compound from attack.  I will not leave you there alone to be captured.”

Bucky returned and T’Challa walked with them out to the landing pad.  They were leaving in the Quinjet Mina had arrived in. “Stay safe,” T’Challa told the both of them.

Mina waved goodbye as she climbed on board and let Bucky take the controls.  The flight back was long and silent, but she was glad Bucky was there with her.  She watched his face, she could see the worry and stress there.

“I shouldn’t have left,” she said once they had landed.

He looked at her then, “You were scared, running was the only possible option you saw at the time.”

“I was a coward,” she said bitterly.

“Mina,” he chastised.  “You’re not a coward just because you ran away, you were trying to protect your friends.”  He stood up and pulled her up with him. “Last night when I came into your room and got in bed with you do you remember any of that?”  She shook her head. “Do you want to know what you said to me?”

“What?”  She asked quietly.

“You told me that you loved me.”  Her eyes widened and he held her face gently between his hands.  “Running to protect those you love isn’t cowardice. If I were in your position I would have done the same thing.”

She reached up and held his hands under hers, “And I would have come after you.”

He kissed her forehead, “I love you, Mina.  Don’t ever doubt that.”

“So what do we do now?”

“What we’ve been doing.  Train, prepare, and make sure The Enclave knows that we’re not going down without a fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I was in Mina's position I don't know what I would do.


	6. Chapter 6

Peter was currently arguing with Mina about what would happen when her month was up.  He wanted to come and help them fight, but Mina didn’t want him to risk his life for her.  “Would you just listen to me?” Peter yelled at her. “You all can use all the help you can get.  I can be an asset.”

“Peter, I am not letting you risk your life for me.  You cannot be here when The Enclave comes for me.”

Everyone was watching their little back and forth with interest.  “Okay then let’s let the others decide,” Peter said diplomatically.  “We take this to a vote. If they agree to let me stay and fight you can’t say a damn thing about it.”

Mina arched a brow, “Do you really think that Tony and the others are going to let you risk your life to fight?”  She looked at her friends and teammates. “Please tell me you all see how crazy this is.” Everyone looked away, Mina threw up her hands.  “You’re actually going to let him fight with us?”

Tony stood and held up his hands.  “He is apart of this team too, and he did help us fight Thanos, much to my chagrin,” he added with a glare shot in Peter’s direction.  “I think he could be useful.”

“Tony, he’s a kid.”

“A kid that fought Thanos, where were you?”  Peter shot at her.

Mina turned to him, “I was keeping my parents and people in my little town safe.  Just because I wasn’t in the bulk of the fighting doesn’t mean I wasn’t doing something.”  The room fell silent. “Fine, he can stay and fight, but I don’t want him in where the majority of the fighting is taking place.”

“Then he can guard you,” Natasha said.

“What?”  Mina turned toward her friend.  “What do you mean he can guard me?  I’ll be fighting alongside all of you.”

“No you won’t,” Bucky said.  “We talked about this a few days ago.  We all agreed that you should stay inside where it will be safe.  The Enclave wants you, so if you’re out there fighting with us then it’ll be easier for them to grab you, and we won't know until it's too late.  It's better if you stay somewhere where we know you'll be safe.”

“If you think for one minute that I am not going to be out there fighting along beside you then you are dead wrong.”  She pointed a finger at Bucky. “If you’re out there then I’m out there. We’re a team.”

“Then I’ll stay inside with you,” he countered.

She wanted to throw her hands up in exasperation, “I didn’t mean ‘we’ as in you and me, I meant all of us,” she gestured to all of them.

“Doesn’t matter, if it’ll get you to stay inside where Peter and I can protect you then that’s what we’ll do.”

“You’re impossible,” she sighed.

“And you’re stubborn, but this is the best you’re going to get out of us.  Even T’Challa agrees,” Bucky informed her.

She glanced at the computer screen, they had video called T’Challa to let him in on this little conversation.  “Et tu, T’Challa?”

“I’m sorry Mina, but this is logical.”  He looked to his sister, “Shuri will make sure that the base stays secure from Doctor Banner's lab, that way the rest of us can rest easy knowing you are safe inside.”

“Let the record show I hate this idea,” she frowned.

“Oh we couldn’t tell,” Wanda said sarcastically.  “But trust us, Mina, this is for your safety.”

She sat there silently as she considered their words, “All right, but if things start going south and don’t act heroically, let me help.”

“I think we can agree to those terms,” Tony said.  “If no one else has anything to add I think we can adjourn for the evening.”  No one spoke up and one by one they started to file out of the room.

Bucky and Mina headed for the roof, it was something they had been doing since getting back from Wakanda.  Mina hated being locked up inside, so Bucky started taking her to the roof before bed.

She flopped back onto one of the couches and stared up at the sky.  “Tell me a story.”

“About what?”  He asked as she settled himself against the cushions of the other couch, he was watching her as her eyes scanned the cloudless night sky.

“Anything,” came her response.

“Do you know the story behind the constellation Cassiopeia?”  He asked her.

She tilted her head so that she was looking at him, “No.”

“She was hung upside down in the sky as punishment for saying she was more beautiful than the nereids that lived in the sea.  She boasted that her beauty was unparalleled, this angered Poseidon. How dare this mortal woman say she was more beautiful than the nereids?  So he took her and hung her in the sky so that she would forever be upside down.” 

Mina shook her head, “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.  What good would it do to hang her upside down?”

Bucky shrugged one shoulder, “Well she has to cling to the throne she’s sitting on in order not to fall off.  That’s gotta take it out of a person, all your blood rushing to your head, praying you don’t plummet down to earth and die in a horrible way.”

“You have a point there,” she sat up and mimicked his position.  “What others can you tell me?”

“The gods don’t always hang people in the sky as punishment, sometimes it’s to honor their heroes like Perseus.  He rescued Cassiopeia’s daughter Andromeda from a horrible sea monster. He among some of the only Greek heroes that didn’t die tragically.  He and Andromeda got married and had a family, I believe they had six children.”

“That’s nice,” she said.  “I was never one to read Greek myths, they were always so tragic.  Most people were killed in horrible ways and I just want a happy ending.”

“They were told to teach lessons,” Bucky pointed out.

“Yeah, but you can still have a happy ending.  Plus most of the gods ran around having sex and doing things they shouldn’t, messing up other people’s lives.  You can’t tell me that Perseus’s life started out on a happy note. I do remember that his mother was locked in a tower because his grandfather was worried about some prophecy about his grandkid or whatever killing him.”

“And it happened anyway,” Bucky finished for her.  “Yeah, Perseus didn’t have the best of beginnings, but at least he had a good ending.”  He stood up and walked over to her couch. 

They fell into silence before Mina worked up the courage, “Did you tell me that story because you want me to believe that that’s going to be us?”

“Yes,” he answered honestly.  “Because it will be.”

“Okay,” she said.  “I believe you.” She rested her head on his shoulder.  “If we’re going to go riding off into the sunset happily ever after style how many kids are we going to have?”

That made Bucky laugh, like actually laugh until his sides hurt.  “Oh my, right to the point aren’t we doll?”

He felt her shrug, “You’re the one that old me Perseus and Andromeda had a happy ending and went off to have kids.  If we’re going to be them I need to know how many children we’re going to be expecting because I can tell you right now we are not having six kids.”

“How about two?  A boy and a girl?”

“Okay, but I can’t control which ones we get, it’s a guessing game until we get an ultrasound or the kid is born.”

“Well then we’ll just have to keep trying until we get both,” he whispered seductively.

It was Mina’s turn to burst out laughing, “Oh my sweet, sweet Bucky.  Two, three max. If they’re all girls or all boys we’re just going to have to settle with what we got.”

He pulled her closer, “Okay names, they need to have names.”

“Alya if it’s a girl,” she said.  “I’ve always loved that name.”

“I’ve always liked Marie,” he told her.

“Alya Marie Barnes,” she tested the name.  “What do you think? Rolls right off the tongue.”

“I like it.  Okay now for a boy.  I like Jack.”

“What don’t want to name our son after you?”  She joked.

“God no, I don’t want people calling him Junior,” he scrunched up his nose in disgust.  “How about Jack Oliver Barnes?”

She pulled back so that she was looking at him.  “You want our kid’s initials to spell out JOB? Have you been hanging around Tony too much lately?”  He playfully pushed her. “And don’t suggest we use my last name because then it will be JOG and we know Tony and Pepper’s kid will tease him mercilessly along with the others whenever they have children.”

“All right, all right I get it.  It’s a no to Jack and Oliver.”

“We don’t have to decide now,” she told him.  “Kids are still a long way off.”

“It’s still fun to picture what they’d be like though.  Our daughter would look just like you and be a little heartbreaker.”

“Oh she would be a daddy’s girl, and you’d teach her kinds of fighting skills and maneuvers,” Mina responded with a smile.  She was picturing Bucky with a little girl teaching her the basics of fighting, and how to properly defend herself.

“Uncle Steve would also be wrapped around that little girl’s finger,” Bucky said.  “He would never get enough of her.”

Mina laughed, “She’s going to have all the men in her life wrapped around her little finger.”

“Just like her mommy,” Bucky placed a kiss below Mina’s ear.

She tilted her headed to the side to give him better access, “Thank you for this Bucky.  For distracting me.”

He kissed below her ear again, “Of course.  The less stress you’re under the better.” He stopped kissing her and exclaimed, “Wait!  Where are we gonna live?”

Mina shook her head smiling, “Here?”

“No, oh no, no, no.  We cannot live here with everyone watching our every move.  We need a house with a big backyard and a pool. We’ll get a dog, maybe some fish?  And we’ll join the PTA. We’ll do the whole nine yards.”

“Gracious, someone wants to be a soccer dad.”  She moved so that she was straddling his lap, their faces inches from each other.  “I don’t think you and I are cut out for the white picket fence, Buck. We’re not really your average American citizens.”

He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against hers, sending shivers down her spine.  His metal fingers came to brush some hair away from her neck. He placed featherlight kisses there making Mina’s heart rate spike.  “Just cuz we’re a little weird doesn’t mean we can’t achieve the classic American family.”

“True,” she said as she leaned forward to kiss his lips.  It was long and slow, his hands gripping the fabric of her shirt so tightly that she thought he was going to rip it.  He lifted her up and laid her down on the couch, his body covering hers. His hands pushing her shirt up. “You know there are cameras out here,” it was the first lucid thought she’d had for several moments as she suddenly remembered they were not in the privacy of their room.

He growled and picked her up, “See this is why we would need our own home, there are too many damn cameras here.”

She clung to him as he walked them toward the elevators, “Like Tony wouldn’t insist we have cameras where ever we move.”

“I’d tell him to shove off, it’s our home, we want privacy.”  He pushed her up against the wall. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall.  She wished the elevator would move quicker. 

The doors dinged and both of them froze when they heard Natasha say, “Shame on you two, there are children present and they have access to the security feed.”

Both of them looked at Natasha who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.  Mina’s cheeks were bright red. She dropped to the floor with a soft thud, straightening her clothes.  Both of them feeling like a couple of teenagers that had just been caught by their parents. “We were just leaving,” she mumbled as she grabbed Bucky’s hand and dragged him down the hall to their room.  

Both of them laughing when the door was shut firmly behind them.  “Nat really does have the worst timing,” Mina said in between giggles.

“She got us out of the elevator quicker,” Bucky pointed out as he hooked his fingers through the belt loops of her jeans and pulling her up against him.  “Now where were we?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mom's middle name is Marie :). Also my initials were almost MEG, but then I was born and they decided to go with a different name.


	7. Chapter 7

The first week of the month had gone by, but Mina tried to not count the days.  She didn’t want to know how many were left until The Enclave came for her. If she counted down the days then time would move slower and she couldn’t take the torture of waiting any longer.  So she threw herself into other activities to keep her mind occupied while her time dwindled down.

She was currently outside with Pietro and Sam as they jogged around the track.  Bucky and Steve were just ahead of them running at a slightly faster pace.

Sam got a look on his face like he had just gotten the most brilliant idea ever and turned to Pietro, “Hey Piet, could you do me a favor?”

“Oh boy,” Mina said with a chuckle.  “What are you going to get him to do to Bucky now?”  Mina found Sam and Bucky’s relationship amusing. Both of them fighting over who was Steve’s best friend, neither of them realizing that it wasn't a competition, it was akin to two children fighting over a toy.

“Anything,” Pietro said.

“Go zipping by Steve and say ‘on your left’.  I want him to get a taste of his own medicine.”  Mina had heard the story of how Steve was running past Sam constantly going ‘on your left’.  It had made Sam so frustrated.

“With pleasure,” Pietro took off.  As he went by Steve and Bucky he shouted, “On your left!”  He went around again, “On your left!”

Mina saw Steve falter and then his shoulders started shaking with laughter.  Him and Bucky turned around. “Good one, Sam,” he called out.

“Just making sure you know how it feels old man!”  Sam rushed to catch up with Steve and Bucky slowed down so he could run with Mina.  Each of them having their own little conversations as Pietro continued to lap them all over and over again.

 

Mina continued to train.  She worked harder and harder, trying to gain absolute mastery over her skills.  Each night she and Bucky would head up to the roof and watch the stars together.  He would tell her more stories, some dealing with gods and monsters, others about his own life.  She listened, soaking up each story as if it would be her last time hearing them.

They never talked about starting a family again.  Neither of them wanting to get onto that subject, but she found herself thinking about what it would be like one day when the two of them were older, leaving the Avengers in the capable hands of the younger generation like Peter and Shuri.

She would catch herself looking in the bathroom mirror, turned sideways her hand on her stomach.  Would she be a good mom? It wasn’t something she had ever really thought about, up until now it wasn’t something she had thought possible for herself.  She had never been serious with anyone, at least not in the aspect of starting a family.  Then once she had joined the Avengers kids just felt like a dream, her life would be in constant danger, how would she be able to raise a child in this environment?

Bucky was her safe person.  Almost three months of knowing him, and he was her safe person.  Of course it helped that they lived together and practically spent all their time together.

He knew the little things about her.  She got frustrated when she couldn’t reach the top shelf, or when Pietro used her head as an armrest.  She cried at sad movies no matter how many times she had seen them. And she was particularly expressive when she read books.

If it was intense she would furrow her brow, but if something good was happening she would be smiling like an idiot.

Showers were her favorite part of the day.  She could relax there and sing her favorite songs.  She enjoyed a wide variety of things, and Bucky was surprised when she started rapping a Nicki Minaj song one day.

And Mina knew all of Bucky’s little ticks.

He got frustrated with Sam most of the time.  Sam liked to push his buttons big time. He hated it when people brought up his past when they were in public.  The people tended to whisper about him being the former Winter Soldier. And he sometimes didn’t sleep well due to bad dreams.

She would find him awake some nights just sitting on the edge of the bed staring at his hands until she coaxed him back to sleep, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.  

He liked showering with her because he liked to be up close and personal for her private concert, but it made her shy so he didn’t do it often.

He also watched her favorite movies just because she liked them, no matter how girly or silly they seemed to them, if it was important to Mina he would watch them, and never once complained.

The two of them were a team.  It had become evident that they worked well together.  

The others tried to stay in the compound as much as possible, but it was becoming harder when there were other missions that needed their attention.

“Go,” Mina had told Steve one afternoon when they had received word of a terror attack in Cyprus.  “They need you right now. We’ll be okay without you for a few days.”

“You sure?”  She loved the concerned look on his face.

“Yes,” she laughed.  “I have Bucky, Wanda, Pietro, Sam, all of the others that will be staying here.  You and Tony need to be out there more right now. If we run into any trouble we’ll call.”

“But what if it’s too late?”

“Oh my God!”  She started shoving him toward his room, “You’re worse than Bucky!  Just go you big worry wort. Now go pack.” She opened his door and pushed him inside before heading off toward the common room where the others were sitting.

“Let me guess he didn’t want to leave,” Sam had a grin on his face.

“Yep, but I told him we’d all be fine while he and Tony were away.  Those people need them and we still have two and a half weeks before The Enclave come for me.  That gives them ample time to get their butts back here.” She sat in between Natasha and Wanda.  “It is nice that he’s worried though.”

Tony appeared, “Okay children, behave while Steve and I are away.  No funny business, no wild parties. F.R.I.D.A.Y. will be keeping an eye on you and will report back to me.”  His eyes landed on Mina, “And remember we cook food in the kitchen.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, but felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.  “Whatever Tony,” she crossed her arms and studiously ignored him.

Steve joined them a moment later and he and Tony headed for the Quinjet.  Bucky met them outside, his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”  He asked. “You’re asking me to lie to Mina.”

Tony put a hand on his shoulder, “You can tell her the truth once we’re gone, but we didn’t want her to worry.  She’s got enough on her plate right now. We didn’t want her to know that the attack was caused by The Enclave.”

“Don’t you think this is what they want?”  Bucky argued. “They want to spread us thin.  What happens while you all are over there? What if there’s another attack and we have to send Nat and Sam out there?”

“If that happens you call us,” Steve told his friend.  “And we’ll hightail it back here. Because that only confirms our suspicions, but it’s best if Mina doesn’t know.  She was ready to give herself up the other week when she saw no other option. This will definitely push her over the edge.”

Bucky knew Steve was right.  He didn’t want to disrupt the balance right now, she was doing all right.  She was smiling more, and she had a determined look in her eyes. If he told her what really happened in Cyprus then she would do something rash and stupid.  “Go, I won’t tell her. Not yet.”

Steve hugged Bucky and said his goodbyes as he and Tony climbed aboard the Quinjet.  Bucky watched them leave, a bad feeling settling over him.

 

Two days after Steve and Tony left for Cyprus, Mina’s phone buzzed letting her know of a new email.  She had been taking a break from training with Bucky when she noticed it. It was from an unknown sender and she knew automatically who it was from.

She angrily opened the email and hit the play button on the video.  “Hello, my darling Siren Song. How are you feeling this morning? Considering coming back to us yet?  I was hoping the attack on Cyprus would have had an effect on you, but I see we’ll have to try harder.”  Mina looked up at Bucky who had frozen in place, staring at her with an ashamed look on his face. “Maybe we’ll hit New York City next, or London.  So many places to choose from. I hope to see you soon.” The screen went black.

“What did he mean about the attack on Cyprus?  You all told me it was a terrorist attack!” She stood up abruptly.

Bucky cringed and looked away from her, “I’m sorry Mina.  We didn’t want to upset you. I was going to tell you, but we were afraid of what you might do.”

She threw her towel at him, “You should have told me!”

The gym door opened and Sam poked his head in, “Hey, is everything okay in here?”

Mina turned on him, and Sam suddenly regretted wanting to check in on the two of them.  “Terrorist attack, huh?”

Sam took in a sharp breath, “So I’m guessing the cat’s outta of the bag now.”

“Yeah, it is,” she glared at him.  “How many of you knew?”

“All of us,” Bucky said.  “We learned about the attack after you had gone to bed the other night.  We received a message from one of The Enclave’s lackeys. It seems like Shinsky reserves showing himself for you and only you.”

“I want to call Steve, I need to tell them about the new threat.”  She pushed past Sam, her anger boiling over as she roughly shoved him with her shoulder.

“Mina!”  Bucky called after her.

“Go to hell Barnes, you should have been honest with me,” she called over her shoulder.  “And sleep in your own room tonight.” She disappeared around a corner.

Bucky banged his head against a wall, “I knew I should have told her the truth the minute we knew about the attack.”

“Then why didn’t you?”  Sam questioned. Bucky glared at him and Sam shrugged, “No shade, none of my usual teasing.  Just genuine curiosity.”

“She’s got two weeks left before they come here.  We all figured they would try to draw her out before then, play to her hero complex.  I just wanted her head in the game. No distractions, nothing that would set her off. When Steve and Tony left I almost told her right then and there, but something held me back, and now I wish I had because maybe she wouldn’t be as mad.”

“You know this is what they want, right?  They want to rip the two of you apart, they want her mad enough at you that she’ll do something stupid and reckless.”

“I know, it’s what I would have done,” Bucky admitted.  “Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

“Yes, Bucky?”  The AI replied.

“Please make sure Mina can’t get out of the building without one of us present, I don’t need her running off in the middle of the night while we’re all sleep.”

“Of course,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.  

“Thanks.”  He pinched the bridge of his nose, “She’s going to hate me for keeping her trapped in here.”

“Oh most definitely, but it’s for her own safety.  She’ll cool down.” Sam patted Bucky on the back. “I’ll take first watch tonight, make sure nothing suspicious happens and to make sure she doesn’t try to escape.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

Sam walked off to go tell the others that Mina knew the truth about where Sam and Steve were.  Bucky felt bad for his best friend because he knew Steve was about to be chewed out by Mina. He wondered if they would cut their trip short and head back home or if they would travel to one of the locations where Shinsky had said they were going to attack next.

Bucky leaned back against the wall of the hallway, suddenly feeling very tired and like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whose side are you on? Bucky and the others for not wanting to tell her about the attack really being from The Enclave? Or Mina's because no one told her the truth? Or are you torn like me? Because I can see why they kept it from her, but at the same time I believe they should have told her the truth


	8. Chapter 8

Steve’s face was the first thing she saw when she called the Quinjet.  He looked worried the moment he saw her angry face, and he figured that she knew the truth about why they had left.  He wondered if Bucky had told her or if she had found out some other way. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I got another email from Shinsky,” her voice low.  She was trying to keep from yelling at him, but it was hard. “He told me the terror attack was because of The Enclave.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

She heard Tony sigh, and Steve looked down.  “We didn’t want to worry you, Mina. We knew if you knew that you’d want to do something--”

“Damn straight I want to do something about it!  They’re already planning another attack! He mentioned either New York City, London, possibly other locations.  He’s hoping to draw me out.”

Steve nodded, “We figured that they would try to do something like that.  That’s why we didn’t tell you.”

“Don’t be mad at Barnes,” Tony cut in.  “He wanted to tell you the truth.”

“I don’t care if he did or not!”  She shouted, her anger finally bubbling over.  “He still chose to withhold that from me! I’m mad at all of you.”

Steve met her angry gaze, “All right, we get it.  We should have told you what was going on, that was a mistake on our part. Look, we’re on our way back now.  Just please don’t do anything stupid.”

“Don’t worry Steve, I’ll stay put like a good little prisoner.”

“Mina--” he said in desperation before she cut out the call.

Mina exited the room she was in and headed for one of the doors that led to the outside world.  As she tugged on the handle she discovered that it was locked. “Of course,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’ve been instructed to keep you inside,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed her.

“I figured.”  She turned herself invisible and began silently moving down the halls.  She didn’t want the others to know where she was. She didn’t want to hear their apologies or their excuses.  She just wanted some peace and quiet.

She managed to slip into her and Bucky’s room without any complications, only to find Bucky lounging on their bed.  “Don’t,” his tone stern as he knew she was about to bolt from the room. “I wanted to talk to you in a calm manner where we wouldn’t be disturbed.”

She became visible, a scowl on her face, “I told you that you would be sleeping in your own room tonight.”

“And I will,” he told her.  “But I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what?  About what you lied about?  About how you all lied to me?  I’m supposed to be a part of this team too.  And I get that you all were afraid that I might do something stupid, which I wouldn’t have.  I know they’re doing this to draw me out, and that they probably would have done this anyway.  You don’t have to get F.R.I.D.A.Y. to keep me prisoner here.” She leaned back against her door, not wanting to go anywhere near the bed where Bucky was sitting.

“Well what did you expect us to think?  You did run away after that first email, and you were planning on giving yourself up to them.”  His frown matched hers. “We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got, Mina.  We’re trying to keep you safe, and we’re trying to stop these guys, but it’s hard when we don’t know what they have up north.”

“You should have trusted me!”  She yelled at him. “Trusted me enough to believe that I would stay put and not go anywhere without telling you first.  Trusted me enough to handle the information.” Bucky flinched at her words. “I know that my emotions have been all over the place and that I haven’t been in the best of places lately, but you should have come to me.  I’m not some porcelain doll that will shatter at the slightest bit of bad news.”

“You’re right, and I’m sorry.  We all made a choice and clearly it was the wrong thing.  We don’t think of you as a porcelain doll, we know how strong you are.  How brave you are. I saw you jump out of a window for Christ’s sake!” That brought a brief smile to his face as he remembered the time she had jumped out of a window when they had gone to one of The Enclave’s bases in South Africa before they knew that they were after Mina.  “If we’re being honest I’m the one that’s afraid.”

She looked at him, “Why?”

He rubbed his hands together, collecting his thoughts.  “Because I’m afraid that they’re going to do to you what HYDRA did to me.  I’m afraid that they’ll change you into someone you’re not and then when we get you back that you’ll have to live with the bad things you did.”

Mina suddenly felt exhausted.  Bucky and her had briefly talked about what it was like when HYDRA was in his mind, controlling him and all the things he had done.  “Then it’s something I’ll have to live with,” she said simply.

“It’s not that easy,” Bucky’s voice was barely a whisper.  “I remember every single person I killed for them and it haunts me.  I know you know this because you’ve been there at night when I’ve woken up, the nightmares I have.  I relive them all. Especially Tony’s parents. I tried for so long to fight back, to keep them from controlling me, always just below the surface, something inside me telling me that this was wrong, but I could never shake it until HYDRA fell and I was free.

“When Steve found me, when he said Bucky, something inside me began to work again.  I started remembering things. Seeing Steve, I don’t know, saved me somehow. I started questioning things.  They tried to wipe my brain, but it worked less and less each time. I was becoming more aware of myself. And then I pulled him from the river.”

“Bucky,” she took a step forward, but paused.  She wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to do.  She was still mad at him, at everyone, for not telling her the truth sooner, but she also wanted to comfort him as he relieved his past horrors.

Bucky stood and brushed past her on his way to the door.  “I’ll leave you alone. Sam’s on watch tonight, please just don’t do anything stupid.”  the door closed softly behind him.

 

Mina climbed the stairs to the roof.  It was about the only place she could go without the doors locking her out.  She guessed F.R.I.D.A.Y. assumed Sam would stop her before she could escape, or that she wouldn’t try to jump down from four stories in the air.

Which she wouldn’t.  She had done that once out of a window and she did not want to attempt it again.

It was chillier out, the air starting to change as fall approached.  She wrapped her blanket around her and lit the firepit with her blue flames.  She figured it would attract Sam’s attention sooner or later if he didn’t already know she was out here.

“Can’t sleep?”  She heard his voice behind her as he rounded the couches and took a seat across from her.

“Not really,” she admitted not looking away from the flames as they danced in the slight breeze.  “There’s a lot on my mind.”

Sam reached out to warm his hands by the fire, “Anything you want to talk about?”

She appreciated the offer, “No, but thanks.  I’m a little talked out. I feel like I’m just rehashing the same things over and over again.  I just kinda want some peace and quiet.”

“That I can do,” Sam promised and he settled back into the couch cushions.

The two of them sat in companionable silence for the longest time, just enjoying the heat of the fire.  “When you first met Steve did you ever think you’d become an Avenger?” She asked at last.

Sam snorted, “No.  Honestly, I was amazed that I even got to meet him at all.  He’s sort of like a celebrity, one of those elusive people that you may never be lucky enough to meet in your lifetime.  And then the old man had the gall to lap me several times.”

That brought a smile to her face, “And then you got him back.”

“And then I got him back.  You know I should have had Pietro pick me up and cart me around the track so I could have shouted ‘on your left’ at Steve.”

“Ah, one of those rare missed opportunities.”

“I guess so,” Sam replied.  They fell silent again. “Are you still mad at Bucky and the rest of us?”

“A little bit,” she told him.  “I just want you all to be honest with me.  No more games, no more secrets, just the God’s honest truth.  I’m still apart of this team.”

“You’re right,” Sam admitted.  “And we didn’t forget that. It’s just sometimes hard when someone you care about and is like family to you is in danger and you feel like there’s nothing you can do about it.  We all love you Mina, and just know that we didn’t do it because we didn’t think you could handle it, we did it because we were scared ourselves.”

“We’re quite the group aren’t we?”  She drew in a deep breath. “The month is dwindling down and I can’t help but wonder what will happen once everything is said and done.  Will I be a puppet or will I still be myself.”

“No matter where you are, we’ll come for you.  You’re family to me, Mina. And I protect my family.”  Mina stood up and walked over to where Sam was sitting so she could hug him.  “Everything will be okay.”

And for the first time Mina actually believed those words.  She believed in her friends and knew that whatever the future days may bring that they would have her back.  That they would stop her before she was too far gone to save, just like Steve had done for Bucky when no one else believed in him.

Sam walked Mina back to her room and hugged her goodnight.  He promised that from now on he would tell her the truth even if the others didn’t want her too.  She waited until he had disappeared to head back up to the room before she headed down one more floor to Bucky’s old room.

She slipped inside and slid under the covers.  Bucky stirred the moment he felt the bed dip. He was on high alert until he smelled Mina’s familiar scent.  She knew he was awake when his arms went around her.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you early,” she told him.  “I was just so frustrated and felt a little betrayed.”

“You had every right to feel that way,” he told her.  “And I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“Sam and I talked, and I feel a little bit better about whatever may be thrown my way, but you have to promise me that you won’t keep any more secrets from me.”

“I promise,” he said.

Mina liked being in Bucky’s room, she liked how it smelled of him.  When she drifted off to sleep at last she didn’t dream of what could happen to her, or any of the nightmares that had been plaguing her the past few months.  She just fell into blissful nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's a good friend. He cares about both Bucky and Mina, even though he loves to tease Bucky relentlessly.


	9. Chapter 9

Bucky woke up to an empty bed.  He thought maybe last night had been a dream, but he could still smell Mina on his sheets.  She had been there, but she had left sometime during the night.  He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He knew he had really messed up with her.

He had made her feel like she couldn’t be trusted, like he didn’t trust her which was the farthest thing from the truth.

He got up and changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.  He wanted to work out some of his frustrations. It was still early, most people wouldn’t be up yet.  He trekked down to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and then headed to the gym.  As he stepped inside he was greeted by the sight of Steve working out.  “When did you get back?” Bucky asked as Steve stopped his workout to greet his friend.

“A few hours ago.  I couldn’t sleep, so I came here.”  Steve began to stretch. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Mina and how mad she was.”

Bucky patted his friend on the back, “She’s cooled down some, Sam talked her down last night.”

Steve looked up in surprise, “I figured she would have gone to you.  We all know how close the two of you are, you’re practically attached at the hip!”

Bucky shook his head, “No, I was the first person she turned her anger on because she felt like I didn’t trust her enough with the information.  Which she had every right to be angry. She apologized last night, came to my old room where she made me sleep. She stayed for a little bit, but I don’t know how long because she was gone when I got up this morning.”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. where is Mina currently?”  Steve asked the AI.

“She left this morning to go to her parents’ home.  Sam went with her and is watching over her as we speak,” came the reply.

“When did she leave?”  Bucky asked.

“Around five thirty this morning.”

 

Mina was sitting in her parents’ dining room nursing a cup of coffee between her hands.  She had invited Sam in since he had insisted on coming with her, but he told her that he wanted to keep watch from above and would join her later.

Her parents still weren’t up yet.  It was the weekend though, they usually let the boys at the shop open for them.

She heard someone shuffling down the stairs and found her father entering the kitchen with a confused look on his face.  “Mina? _Cosa stai facendo qui?_ ”  

“I just thought I’d come home for a visit.  Work has been… hectic lately and I wanted to see my parents.”

Her father poured himself a cup of coffee and walked over to the table.  “And where is Bucky?”

Mina tapped on the sides of her mug, not meeting his gaze, “Bucky’s back at the compound.  He doesn’t know I’m here. My friend Sam is watching over me right now.”

“And where is Sam?”  

“In the sky, he’s got sort of a bird’s eye view from there.”  She took a sip of her coffee, savoring the warmth as it went down.  “Go ahead and ask your question, I can see it in your eyes.”

Her father shifted in his seat, he hated how she could read him like an open book.  “Are you and Bucky still together?”

“Yes Dad, we’re still together,” she didn’t say it in an annoyed tone.  “We’re just going through a little rough patch is all.” Rough patch was the simplest way to put it.  “There’s something going on and he kept information hidden from me. I got mad and yelled at him. Technically I got mad at all of them because it wasn’t just Bucky keeping secrets.”

Her dad was quiet as he thought things over for a moment.  “Were they trying to keep you safe? Was he trying to keep you safe by keeping this information from you?”

She blew out a breath, she knew where this question would lead.  “Yes, they were.”

“What is going on?”  And that was the question she was hoping to avoid.  She didn’t want to tell her parents about The Enclave.  What they had done to her while her mother was still pregnant.  Her parents would blame themselves and she didn’t want to do that with them.

“I-I can’t explain right now, just know that we have everything under control.”

He slammed his hands down on the table making her flinch.  “Damn it, Mina! If there is a threat on your life you must tell me!”  She had never seen him so angry before. “You go out on these dangerous missions and your mother and I worry about you.  We worry ourselves sick! And now you come here and tell me this!”

“Marcus!”  Mina’s mother entered the kitchen now, woken up by her husband’s little tirade.  “What on earth is wrong?” Her mother’s eyes landed on her. “Mina? Baby, what are you doing home?”

“She says her life is in danger,” her father seethed.  “But she doesn’t want to tell me what’s wrong. Only that her teammates and that boyfriend of hers are keeping things from her.”

Her mother took a seat, “What is going on?  Why are they keeping things from you?”

“Please, just don’t worry about it.  Everything will work itself out,” she begged.  “I just needed to get away for a day at the most. Is it all right if my friend Sam crashes on your couch tonight?”

“Yes, yes,” her dad waved his hand dismissively.  “He can stay.” Marcus stood up and started back toward the stairs.  “I need to get ready for work. Are you joining us or are you just going to stay here all day like a bump on a log?”

Alia gave her daughter an apologizing look.  “I’ll join you,” she said as she bent down to get her bag.  “Let me tell Sam.” She walked outside and flagged him down.  He landed with a soft thud. “I’m going into work with my parents.  They said you could sleep on their couch tonight as well.”

Sam nodded, “I’ll keep a lookout overhead.  If I get tired I’ll land and come grab a slice.”

Mina slipped into the back seat of her parents' car as they rode to the pizzeria.  The workers all greeted her warmly as she entered the kitchen and started helping with the food.  No one mentioned her problem with the Avengers and she was grateful for the distraction.

Sam came in and she joined him for something to eat before rejoining the others in the back.  Sam snapped some pictures of her laughing and smiling and sent them to Bucky.

 **Sam:** She’s safe and happy.  Will let you know if something goes wrong.

 **Bucky:** Thank you, Sam.

Sam slipped out the door and into the sky once more to keep an eye out for anything unusual.

 

The next morning Mina said goodbye to her parents and made Sam get into the car with her as they drove back to the compound.  The two of them singing along to the radio. They laughed as they continued to belt out the poppy songs and then switch over to classic rock.

When they made it back to the compound she felt better.  She needed the time away from the others. From Bucky.

She slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed to her and Bucky’s room to shower.  She waved to Sam as he broke off to go to another part of the building. Most likely to inform Tony that the two of them had returned.

When she reached her room she was relieved to find it empty.  She wasn’t ready to see Bucky just yet. She had fled after she had apologized.  She needed space, and it had been good for her.

She wondered if he would seek her out once he knew she was back or if he would leave her alone.  If any of them would seek her out.

Her shower was short, but the room had already filled with steam.  It spilled out into the main part of the room when she opened the door and headed to her closet.  She was almost dressed when she heard keys in the door. She froze and turned just as Bucky pushed his way inside.  He had headphones in, not paying a bit of attention to her.

She debated turning invisible, but there was evidence of her being here everywhere.  He would know.

He headed for the bathroom, not looking in the direction of the closet where she was.  She slipped her shirt on, grabbed a book, and fled the room as she heard the water turn on.  

In the hallway, she ran into Steve who looked like he had just gotten back from the gym.  He paused and shifted awkwardly when he saw Mina heading in his direction. “Uh hey, Mina.  Did you enjoy your time with your parents?”

“I did,” she said softly.  “It helped to be away from all of this.”

“Look Mina, I’m really sorry we all kept what The Enclave had done from you.  We shouldn’t have,” he began.

She held up her hands, “It’s fine Steve.  I just want to move on. Just no more secrets, please.”

He nodded, “Of course.  I think we all learned our lesson.”  He glanced down toward her room, “Have you spoken to Buck since you got back?”

“He was just in the room, but he had headphones in and I kind of fled.  Honestly, I don’t think he even knew I was there.”

“Oh trust me, he knew.  He just probably wants you to come to him first.”

It made sense.  He was trying to give her space.  “I guess I’ll talk to him later.” She started to make her way around Steve, “I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Yeah,” he responded.  “We’re getting Chinese.  Anything you want?”

“Orange chicken, and a few egg rolls please.”

“I’ll make sure Pietro knows, it’s his turn to pick the food up.”

She walked backward so she could look at him, “Please tell him to take a car this time.”

“I think he learned his lesson last time,” Steve said with a grin.

Mina waved and headed for one of the hidden alcoves where she would remain undisturbed for a while as she read.  She curled up on one of the little couches and cracked open her book. She read for a few hours before her eyelids began to grow heavy and she fell asleep.

“Mina,” she was being gently shaken awake by someone.  She jerked awake to see that it was beginning to grow dark outside.  Bucky stood above her, an unreadable expression on his face. “Hey, Steve sent me.  Pietro just got back with dinner.”

Mina stretched, “Thanks.”  She yawned, standing up. The two of them stood there awkwardly for a minute.  “I hope I didn’t worry you when you woke up and I was gone. I was going to leave a note, but I just felt a little awkward doing that.”

“It’s fine,” he replied.  “I just assumed you had gone back to your room.  F.R.I.D.A.Y. was the one that had informed me you had left the compound and that Sam was with you.”

She nodded, “I figured you guys would feel better if I had someone go with me.  Sam was the only one up at the time, and I just wanted to get away before everyone sort of crowded me and started apologizing.”

“I understand.”  He turned to walk away, “Come on, we don’t want dinner to get cold.”

She raced to catch up with him, and she slipped her hand in his, a silent gesture to let him know they were okay.  She noticed him relax, and he squeezed her hand. The two of them entered the dining room and the others fell silent.

“Please just treat me normally,” Mina said.  “Don’t act like anything happened. I just want to forget that ever happened.”

“That we can do,” Tony said as he passed some food around.  

Mina and Bucky sat towards the end of the table, farther away from the others.  She laughed as he tried to work his chopsticks with his metal hand. He got so frustrated that he snapped them in half.  She handed him a fork and told him it was okay.

He grumbled all throughout dinner as the others effortlessly used their chopsticks, even Steve.  Tony had a few smart comments for him, which Bucky replied with a rude hand gesture making everyone erupt into laughter.

Mina knew tomorrow she would have to get back to work, they were beginning to prep the compound for a possible attack and she was going to be helping Shuri install some new tech that she had invented.

Two weeks.  That’s all the time she had left.  And it didn’t feel like enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking about starting a Tumblr. I'll let you know when I do.


	10. Chapter 10

**A Week and a Half Until The Enclave’s Arrival**

Mina kicked the dummy in the stomach, sending it flying backward, and crashing against the gym wall with a lough bang.  It erupted into a blue flame which Wanda hurried to put out before it could do anymore damage.  She looked over at Mina who was breathing heavily, glaring at the offending object.

“Maybe we should take a break,” Wanda suggested cautiously.

Mina shook her head, she could feel beads of sweat trickling down her forehead.  “No, I can’t. We need to keep going.”

Wanda walked over to her friend, “You’re not going to be any good if you wear yourself out like this Mina.  I know that our time is almost up, but this isn’t going to solve anything.  If anything it could make things worse.”

“I need to be stronger,” Mina replied almost robotically.  

“You need rest,” came Wanda’s soft reply.  “Come on, let’s stop for today.”

“Fine, you can quit, but I’m going to keep going.”  Mina grabbed another dummy and began her assault on the torso.  She was pouring more of her strength into her attacks.

Wanda stood there watching her for a few more moments before she exited the gym and went looking for Bucky.  She found him in the weapons room cleaning the guns and other various weapons. He had his headphones in trying to drown out the noise around him.

She had to wave to get his attention.  He pulled his headphones out and said, “Hey Wan, did you and Mina finish training?”

Wanda bit her lip, “She’s still in there.  She doesn’t want to stop and at this rate she’s going to collapse.”

Bucky sighed, his eyes fluttering shut.  “I hate asking this, but is there any way you can get into her mind and get her to stop?”  If she wasn’t going to quit on her own then they needed to interfere.

“I can try, but she’s become a lot stronger, it may not be possible,” Wanda warned.  “And it could upset her even more.”

“Just try, I’ll take all the blame.”

Wanda didn’t want him to do that.  “I don’t know, Bucky.”

“It’s either that or we do an intervention, but I think we all know how that would go.”  The two of them headed back to the gym. Mina was still wailing away at the practice dummy.  Bucky gently approached her, “Mina.”

She paused and looked at him.  “What?” Her voice came out harsher than she meant, but she was breathing heavily.

“It’s time to stop, you’re exhausting yourself.”  He took her hands in his and started pulling her away from the dummy.  “Let’s get you in the shower and then get you something to eat, yeah?”

She shook her head, trying to break free of his grasp, but where she was tiring herself out she was weaker than him.  “No, I have to keep working.”

“Mina, listen to me.  I know you’re stressed and worried, but this isn’t the way to work those feelings out.  I need you to calm down and to relax.”

“I can’t, I have to keep going.”  She tried to tug herself out of his grasp once more, but he only tightened his hold on her.  “Bucky let me go.”

“I can’t do that Mina, you look so tired.  Just listen to me.” He was moving her toward the door.  “If you don’t we’ll be forced to knock you out so you get some sleep.”

“You wouldn’t,” she narrowed her eyes looking at him skeptically.

They were in the hall now, “We would.  Come on doll, let’s get you in the shower and then we’ll share a nice lunch outside together.”

Wanda shut the door to the gym and locked it behind her.  “You got this?” She asked Bucky.

“Yeah, you can go.”  His eyes never left Mina’s as he continued to pull her farther and farther from the gym.  “What do you want for lunch? We can make sandwiches. I bought some lunch meat from the deli the other day.  Or we have that crunchy peanut butter you like.”

“Peanut butter sounds good,” she responded as if she were in some kind of daze.  

“Okay, well let’s get you cleaned up and then we can go make the sandwiches.”  They stepped inside their room and he gently peeled the sweaty work out clothes off of her.  Next he took down her hair and brushed out any of the tangles that could be found there. He worked silently, and she just stood there letting him work.  He grew worried over how quiet she was being, but he chalked it up to her being tired. He led her into the bathroom and turned the shower head one, testing the water until it was at a good temperature. “I’ll be back in a bit, just take a bath and then we’ll make the sandwiches.”

She nodded and watched the water fall in a steady stream.  Bucky exited the room and went to find Tony. “What can I do for you, Barnes?”

“We need to talk about Mina,” he said as he took a seat across from Tony at his desk.  “She’s getting worse.”

“Yes, I am well aware.  The stress is starting to get to her but there’s nothing that we can really do for her.  She’s the one with the calming abilities. She’s the one that can make people do whatever she wants.”  Tony sat his files down on his desk. “The only thing we can do is put her on medication to mellow her out, but it could mute her powers.  It also might not work because of the serum, she’s essentially like you and Steve just with upgraded abilities.”

“I can’t just sit by and watch her become a shell of the person she used to be!”  Bucky was growing angry now. “I want the girl I fell in love with back.”

Tony knew what it was like to watch someone you loved go through something traumatic.  He knew the pain and anguish that Bucky was going through. “Barnes, I get it, trust me I do.  But this is a delicate situation we’re in. We have little over a week before The Enclave is on our doorstep.  The others are arriving by the day. T’Challa will be here tomorrow, Stephen after that. We’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”

Bucky felt his nails biting into his flesh, he knew he was going to draw blood if he squeezed any tighter.  “I just don’t know what to do,” his voice was hoarse, coming out in a raspy whisper.

“You do what you’ve been doing.  Be there for her. Be her rock. Be the man she fell in love with, and for the love of God do not show any weakness.  If any of us crack now she’s going to definitely spiral out of control.”

Bucky stood, “I’ll try Tony, but this is just, all a little much.”

“I know, but it’ll work out, you’ll see.”  He picked the file he had been reading back up.  “Go take care of her.”

Bucky headed back to their room where he found Mina standing in the middle of the room looking over several outfits Bucky had picked out for her.  She had a towel wrapped around her body, her hair tied up in another towel. “I don’t know which one to choose.”

“Wear whatever you’ll feel most comfortable in,” he told her.  “If it were me I’d go with the sweats.”

They were her favorites, they had the Rebel Alliance logo on it from Star Wars, and they were soft.  She picked the sweats up and slipped them on. Bucky took the towel from her and went to hang it up in the bathroom while she put the shirt on.  When he emerged from the bathroom she was standing there with her hands shoved into the pockets. “Ready?” She asked.

“I should be asking you that,” he said with a smile.  He held out his metal hand and she took it, the two of them heading toward the kitchen to make the peanut butter sandwiches.

As they made them she asked, “Where are we going to eat these?”

“Where ever you want,” he told her.  “We could eat them in here, or outside.”

“What about the park?”  She asked. “The one that’s a ten minute walk from here?”

The compound was surrounded by woods, but Tony had set up a little park not far for when the others wanted to actually get away from the compound, but not stray too far in case something went wrong.  

“Okay,” Bucky said.  “We can do that.” She smiled and packed the sandwiches and a few drinks in a bag which Bucky took from her and slung over his arm.  “F.R.I.D.A.Y. if anyone needs us tell them we’ll be at the park enjoying a nice meal together.”

“Okay.”

The two of them headed out the front doors and down the path that cut through the woods and to the little park which was deserted.  They set up at one of the benches, they sat across from one another as they talked. A nice cool breeze rustled the leaves on the trees, and they listened to the birds sing to one another.

It was enough to calm Mina down for a little while.

 

T’Challa arrived at the compound around noon the next day.  Shuri, Steve, Mina, and Bucky were waiting to greet him. When Shuri saw her brother disembark from the jet she rushed forward and hugged him.  Telling him how much she had missed him.

It warmed Mina’s heart to see such a sweet moment between brother and sister.  She had wished that she had had a sibling as a kid, someone she looked out after in school, and be there for as they got older.

“Makes me miss my sister,” Bucky commented.

“Rebecca right?”  Mina asked him.

Bucky nodded, “Yeah, she was great.  I’ll tell you about her sometime.”

“I’d like that,” she responded with a small smile.  He had mentioned his sister a few times along with his parents, but she knew it was still hard for him when he thought about them.  About how they were no longer there. She also knew that when this was all over she and him were going to visit their graves.

T’Challa and Shuri made their way over to the little group after they had finished their greeting.  T’Challa immediately going for Mina, “Little Panther, what is this I hear about you pushing yourself too hard?”

Mina squeezed T’Challa tightly, grateful to have her friend there with her.  “It’s nothing, just the stress of it all. Tony got me some anxiety pills, and I took one today.”  It was one of the reasons why she was so calm. She had taken it with her breakfast that morning. Bucky had hovered over her worried about the end results, but she had shooed him away so she could eat in peace.

T’Challa pulled away and looked into her eyes, “You seem too docile, I don’t like it.”

That made the group laugh, “All right, all right.  Your ‘Little Panther’ will be back soon enough. I just have to get through the rest of the time before The Enclave comes.”  She turned and began heading toward the doors leading inside the compound. “Come on, Tony put you in the best room.”

“Oh?  And what makes it the best room?”  T’Challa walked beside her as they moved down the halls.

“It’s next to mine,” she said with a grin.

T’Challa shook his head, chuckling, “Oh my, are we going to have a sleepover?  Braid each other’s hair? And talk about your boy problems all night?” He shot a look toward Bucky who was shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

“We are most certainly going to discuss boy problems.  Mother hen over there has been hovering nonstop.” She jerked a thumb at Bucky.  “I think he’s worse than Steve.”

“Um excuse me?  I am right here,” Steve said in mock offense.

“She’s got a point,” Bucky pointed out.  “You are like a mother hen when someone you care about is in trouble or hurt.”

Steve crossed his arms over his chest as he pouted, “See if I help any of you the next time you’re laid up in bed with an injury.”

“Dinner’s at six,” Mina informed T’Challa.  “We’re ordering Indian food tonight.”

“No one cooks in this place,” Bucky informed T’Challa before the question could come out of his mouth.  “The trash cans look like a graveyard of restaurant takeout containers.”

“We cook on occasion,” Mina said next.  “But more times than not we’re ordering out.”

“Ah well, then I look forward to seeing what tonight’s dinner will be like.”  Shuri joined her brother to help him get settled in while Steve, Mina, and Bucky headed out to get the food for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My new Tumblr is @buckyismymainman if you want to follow me there! It's a side blog so I won't be following back from there, I'll also take questions and such so feel free to go ask me some things on there.


	11. Chapter 11

**A Week Until The Enclave’s Arrival**

The email arrived when they were all gathered together in the dining room.  F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice had rang out over the intercom. “You have received a video message from The Enclave.  Would you like me to play it for you?”

Everyone had sat there quietly not quite sure what to do.  Their curiosity was peaked, this was the second time that they had contacted them all directly and not just Mina.  “Yes,” Mina said, her voice wavered slightly. She had a blanket wrapped around her, she was sitting on Bucky’s lap listening to the others talk about their strategy when they started to fight whoever showed up at their doorstep in a week's time.

“Are you sure you want to see this Little Panther?”  T’Challa had asked in concern. Everyone knew what the emails did to Mina.  They sent her spiraling into panic.

“I’m sure,” she replied. 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. pulled the video up and Mina and the rest of the team were greeted by Shinsky’s face.  “Hello Avengers, and my darling Siren Song. We have reached the week before we come for her and she still isn’t here.  I’m assuming that none of our tactics have worked and that she will remain there for the remainder of her time with all of you.  I am a little disappointed in her, but I guess I can see why. She wants to remember you all before we wipe her clean and make her into what she was always supposed to be.

“I have a proposition for you my darling Siren Song since you seem to be so enamored with the Winter Soldier.”  He paused briefly as if trying to add a dramatic effect to his little revelation. “You can bring James Buchanan Barnes with you, and we can turn him back into the Winter Soldier.  He would be your personal bodyguard and lover if that is what you truly wanted.  Even if he refused to come with you, you could always use your Siren Song on him, and make him join you until we could wipe his mind and start over with him as well.”

“I would rather eat glass,” she said in a low growl, Bucky held her a bit tighter.

“It is up to you whether that is something you want to do, if not he will perish along with the others at some point and you will never remember the love you felt for him.  The choice is completely up to you. And I will see you soon.” The screen went black.

“That’s not happening,” she twisted around to look at Bucky.  “I would never take you with me. I’m not turning you back into the Winter Soldier just so we can stay together.”

He pressed his forehead against her, “I know.  I know you wouldn’t do that. He’s just trying to bait you.”

“Well it’s not working,” she whispered.  “He can go straight to hell.” Bucky being turned back into the Winter Soldier pained her more than actually being captured.  She didn’t want to watch him become that man again, even if she was brainwashed right along beside him.  She knew the pain he felt about all the horrible things he had done, and for her to bring him along and make him become that horrible person again was so selfish, she would never do that.

“So should we be protecting Bucky as well now?”  Peter asked breaking the moment that Bucky and Mina were sharing.

“No,” Mina said, still not pulling away from the position her and Bucky were in.  “They don’t want him, not yet at least. He’d be harder to control with the safeguards that Shuri placed in his head.  It’s just a way to make me come more quietly. Offering up what they know I desire most.”

The others stayed silent letting Mina and Bucky have their silent moment together.  All of them scrambling for some type of plan that would protect their teammates and their friends, but each one coming up blank.

“I’m going to bed,” Mina said tiredly.  “The pill I took is wearing on me.” She slid out of Bucky’s lap.  “Wake me if something else happens.” She stepped out of the room without another word.

Everyone turned toward Bucky who had his face in his hands, “Just when I think they couldn’t upset her even more they go and pull a stunt like this.”  He looked up to see everyone staring at him. “I don’t need her worried about me. I need her worried about herself. She’s already under so much stress as it is.”

“One more week, Barnes,” Tony said.  “One more week.”

Bucky stood abruptly, “I need some air.  Don’t follow me,” he added when he noticed Steve getting up to follow him out.

 

**Five Days Remaining**

Mina was in the gym working out.  Bucky made her promise she wouldn’t push herself as hard as she had before.  She hadn’t taken a pill that day, she wanted to work the drug out of her system so she was more alert.  There were only five days remaining before The Enclave came for her.

She was lifting weights when Pietro came zooming in, “Little Mina, want to race?”  He had a grin on his face.

She eyed him skeptically, “What do you have planned?”

“Nothing, just some good natured fun.”  He was bouncing up and down now like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to rip into his presents.

She put her weights down and put her hands on her hips, “What’s in it if I win and you know you can’t use your abilities.”

“Of course, then it wouldn’t be a fair race.”  He gave her his best puppy dog eyes, “Please Little Mina.”

She blew out a breath, “All right, but if I win you have to stop calling me ‘Little Mina’ for a month.”

“Deal,” he beamed at her.  “And if I win you have to make me your famous stuffed shells for a month.”  They shook on it, sealing the deal. 

“Who’s going to be the judge of this little race?”  She asked as she followed him outside. “It can’t be your sister or Bucky, they’re biased.”

“I asked Tony and he agreed along with Steve, just to make it a little fairer,” Pietro replied as they stepped into the sunlight.

Steve and Tony were both waiting in the center of the track.  “All right you two, the rules are simple. No powers, and the first person to complete three laps around the track wins.  No rematches and no poor sportsmanship if you lose,” Tony called out to them.

“Yeah, yeah, just count down already,” Mina waved a hand dismissively.

A little group had gathered to watch the two of them race.  Bucky and Wanda at the front of the crowd waiting to see what was going to happen.  “Do you think he’s going to let her win?” Bucky asked Wanda.

“Probably,” she replied.  “He’s soft on her. Wants to see her happy.  She probably made a deal that if he stopped calling her ‘Little Mina’ if she won then she would race him.” 

Tony counted down and then shouted, “Go!”

Pietro took off in the lead, the normal blur that he usually was, was nowhere to be seen.  Mina kept her pace waiting until the last second to use a burst of energy to propel her forward and hopefully win their little bet.  She would be so happy if she didn’t have to listen to Pietro calling her ‘Little Mina’ for a month.

The first lap completed and Mina was close on Pietro’s heals.  He hated how slow he had to go, but he knew what Mina’s strategy was.  He would have to wait until she passed him close to the end of the third lap.

Bucky began cheering for Mina while Wanda cheered for her brother and Mina both.  The crowd behind them was getting into it now as Mina began to pick up speed and was gaining on Pietro.  She was starting to breathe heavier now, but she wanted to win so badly. She could taste the sweet freedom of not being called ‘Little Mina’ for a month.

The finish line was coming into view now and she was pushing herself to go faster.  She was side by side with Pietro now. “Come on Little Mina, is that the best you can do?”  He taunted her good naturedly. 

“You’re going to eat my dust here in a second Piet,” she replied with a smirk.  Then she pushed forward with a burst of energy and passed him, the crowd behind them going wild.  Even Tony and Steve were cheering now, shouting at her to go faster.

She crossed the finish line and raised her arms into the air.  People came surging forward. Bucky there first, lifting her up and twirling her around.  “Great job doll,” he whispered before she was tugged away by Pietro who squished her into a hug.

“Good job Mina,” he told her.

Mina pulled back and gave him a suspicious look, “Did you let me win?”

“What?  Me? Never,” he feigned innocence.

She shook her head and shoved him, “Thank you, Pietro.”

“Of course,” he replied before passing her off to the next person.

Once the crowd had died down Mina went to take a shower and celebrate her win with a bag of fast food and a movie with Bucky curled up beside her.  She had put in  _ Titanic _ , and Bucky had fallen asleep promptly, his head on her lap.    

 

**Three Days Remaining**

Mina and Bucky were having a lazy day as instructed by Tony while the team did their thing and set up the rest of the traps around the compound.  Bucky kissed her slowly, trailing kisses down her neck, whispering how much he loved her.

She stared into his beautiful blue eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs tangling with his.  “Tell me what we’re going to do once this is all over? Are we going to take a vacation? Do you have a fancy date picked out?”  She had tears in her eyes. “Just tell me something good we’re going to do together.”

Bucky kissed her cheeks as tears started to fall down her face.  “We’ll take a vacation, just the two of us. No team, no people bothering us.  Hell we’ll even leave our phones here that way no one can bug us.”

“We can’t leave our phones here Buck, what if there’s an emergency?  We can tell the team not to contact us unless it is life or death, and by life or death I mean Thanos levels life or death.”  She ran her fingers through his soft hair, she kind of missed his longer hair, and the scruffy beard.

“All right, we’ll take our phones, but the second we’re bothered for anything other than a Thanos level attack we’re tossing our phones and never looking back.”  He traced patterns on her back over the thin fabric of her shirt.

“So where are we going to go?”  She asked softly.

“Where do you want to go?  Italy? The Bahamas? India?  There are so many places to choose from.”

“Greece,” she said at last.  “You telling me all those myths has me wanting to explore the country to see what it’s like there.”

“All right, Greece it is.  We can take a month, maybe longer and just explore.  No distractions, just you and I.” She buried her face in the crook of his neck.  “I think we’ll never want to leave. I’ve heard it’s beautiful there.”

“So have I,” she murmured.  She placed a kiss on his skin.  “And Buck?” He hummed to let her know he was listening.  “I want you to grow your hair back out, the beard too.”

“I had no idea you liked my long hair and beard,” she heard his low chuckle.  “I’ll grow it back out for you doll.”

“You don’t have to grow it out just for me,” she sputtered.  “It was merely a suggestion.” She peeked up at him, “It reminds me of how you looked when we first met.”

“That seems like ages ago,” he told her.  “When in reality it was only a few short months ago.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” she kissed him, slowly, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers, the way he released a low growl when she bit his bottom lip.

They only emerged that evening when they were both starving, but they quickly gathered up dinner and headed back to their room.  They managed to avoid the others or at least were granted enough privacy so they had the illusion that they were the only two in the compound.  Either way they were both grateful for the lack of people hovering around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there.....


	12. Chapter 12

**One Day Remaining**

You could feel the tension running through the compound.  It was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. Each member of the team moved through the compound with a zombie-like quality to them.  

They had faced down the likes of Ultron, HYDRA, Chitauri, and Thanos, but the thought of facing The Enclave sent them all into this state.  Maybe it was because they could possibly lose a teammate and watch as she became a weapon to be unleashed upon the world. Her free will stripped from her.

Mina was pacing back and forth in the common room, a movie playing in the background.  She had honestly forgotten what she had turned on. She had no idea where Bucky was and honestly she didn’t even know if she would notice his presence if he walked in.

It seemed like they all had just wanted to be left alone.  Natasha was holed up in her room. Clint was somewhere. Stephen was in the library pouring over some books he had brought with him.  Steve was in the gym trying to work out his anxieties. Shuri was in the lab working on who knows what. Pietro was taking a run. Everyone was doing their own thing to calm themselves down.

“Calm down,” she murmured to herself.  “Everything will work out. Bucky won’t let anything bad happen to you.”  Tears built up in her eyes, but she shook her head. “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry,” she repeated over and over again.

A few moments later she heard a female singing over the speakers.  She didn’t recognize the song or the woman singing. She felt a pair of arms go around her, and a head rest on her shoulder.  “Dance with me, Mina Gaspari,” came Bucky’s voice.

She laid her hands over top of his and swayed to the music.  “Who is this?” She asked as the song slowly came to an end.

“Etta James, she was one of the singers Sam had shown Steve when he was trying to catch up on all the things he had missed while he was asleep.”  He turned her around so that they were facing one another. “I figured since she had such a soothing voice we could both relax to her.”

“She does have a soothing voice,” she said as another song by Etta came on.  This one Mina recognized, it was  _ A Sunday Kind of Love.   _ This was one of her favorite songs.  “Hey, I sing this one in the shower.”

“Yes you do, doll,” he rested a hand on her waist and gently twirled around the room with her.  “I love it when you sing this one.”

“I’ll have to sing it more then.”  She rested her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart beating steadily in his chest.  She let out a contented sigh. “You really know how to calm a girl down, James Buchanan Barnes.”

He dipped her, a smirk on his face, “I’ve been told I had that effect on women.”

“My, my, am I getting a glimpse of the man that was an infamous ladies man back in the forties?”  He slowly brought her back up.

“What can I say?  You have that effect on me.  Making me want to sweep you off your feet all the time,” just as he said that he scooped her into his arms, bridal style.

She clung to him, a surprised gasp escaped her lips, “I swear you look for any excuse to pick me up.”

“I do,” he said with a boyish grin.  They continued to dance with her in his arms.

 

That night Bucky laid awake just watching Mina sleep softly beside him.  Her face looked peaceful, but every once in a while she would roll over and make little noises like she was having a bad dream.  

He looked at the clock, it was blinking three in the morning.  There was no way he was going to get any sleep. He was too afraid of a sneak attack from The Enclave.  He wondered if the others were feeling the same way.

**Bucky:** Is anyone else up?

**Natasha:** Yes

**Steve:** Yup

**Sam:** As if I could go to sleep right now.

**Tony:** I’m in my workshop tinkering on some suits for the Iron Legion.

**T’Challa:** I’m with Shuri in the lab, both of us are wide awake.

**Thor:** This is not healthy…

**Sam:** You’re telling me.

**Bucky:**  I think Mina is the only one asleep.

**Steve:**  She actually managed to get to sleep?

**Bucky:** Yup

**Pietro:**  Did she take one of the pills?

**Bucky:** Not as far as I’m aware, but she might have while I was in the shower.

**Wanda:** I was asleep before my phone started buzzing incessantly.  You all need your sleep, tomorrow’s kind of a big deal. We need to be well rested.

**Thor:**  I agree with young Wanda, tomorrow is a big day and we all need to be well rested. 

**Tony:**  Easier said than done Point Break 

“Bucky?”  Mina’s tired voice brought Bucky out of the conversation.  “Is everything okay?” She was squinting trying to get used to the light of his phone.

**Bucky:**  Shit, she’s awake, gotta go.  Get some sleep everyone.

He clicked off his phone and looked back at her, his eyes adjusting to the darkness, “Everything’s fine.  Just having trouble getting to sleep.”

“Well maybe if you put your phone away and turn it off.  God who’s texting you?” She flopped onto her back and threw one of her arms over her eyes.  “Don’t tell me, the others are having trouble sleeping too?”

“Yeah, they are,” he told her.  “I’ll turn it off if it’s bothering you.”

She waved a hand dismissively, “Either turn it off or go join them.”

He grabbed his phone off the bedside table and shut it off, “There it’s off.”  He wrapped his body around hers. “Sorry for waking you.”

“It’s fine Buck,” she turned her head so she was looking at him.  “Just don’t let it happen again.”

“You go it doll,” he watched as she closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.  It amazed him that she could actually sleep through the night. “I love you.” He kissed her cheek and tried to get some sleep himself.

 

**Morning of the attack**

The morning came quicker than any of them had hoped it would.  Most of them were tired from being up all night and were chugging down cups of coffee to help keep them awake and give them the energy boost that they needed.

Mina and Bucky had joined them for breakfast before going through some run-throughs of what to do when the attack started.  Bucky would take Mina to one of the safe rooms in the compound that didn’t have any windows and the two of them would hole up there until the fighting had stopped and The Enclave was gone.

Peter would be in the hall beyond making sure that whoever got in would have a hell of a time getting to Mina.  Shuri was in the lab monitoring everything going on throughout the building, and springing any traps if necessary.  

Mina was sitting on the couch, she was in her suit just in case she had to do any fighting, the others also in their suits.  Each of them sitting around the common room waiting. “Would have been nice if they had given us an ETA,” Tony said.

“Where’s the fun in that?”  Pietro asked. “This way they catch us off guard and unprepared.  Giving them a better chance of grabbing Mina and leaving.”

Bucky glared at Pietro as he noticed Mina go pale, “Smooth.”

“Sorry,” Pietro muttered.

They lapsed into silence once again.  Mina couldn’t take it and abruptly stood up, heading out of the room toward the kitchen.  No one moved to follow her, Bucky wasn’t sure if he should, or if she needed some space for a moment.  He didn’t want her to feel like he was crowding her.

He gave her a few minutes and then followed her to the kitchen.  She was sitting on the counter eating the crunchy peanut butter right out of the container.  “If you had told me my life would have come to this when I joined up I probably would have laughed in your face.”  She licked the spoon and chewed on the bits of peanuts in the creamy substance.

Bucky leaned against the counter across from her, “I know this isn’t an ideal situation.  None of us could have seen it coming.”

Mina nodded, “The waiting is making it worse, it’s like they’re trying to drive me crazy by prolonging what we all know is going to happen.  Maybe they won’t even show up today. It could have been one big joke. Trying to psych us out.” She scooped up another big blob. “I just wish they’d come and get it over with.”

Bucky grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the peanut butter, “They could be waiting for nightfall, thinking that that would give them more of an advantage.”  He licked the peanut butter off the spoon and grabbed another spoonful.

“Possibly,” she said.  “I just want this nightmare to be over.”

“And it will be,” he assured her.  “Soon.”

Mina opened her mouth to respond to him, but another voice interrupted her.  “There’s a jet approaching,” came Tony’s voice. “Get her to the safe room.”

Bucky lifted her off the counter and they headed for the safe room.  As they passed the others she called out, “Stay safe.” They all grimly nodded.

Peter was already in the hallway, she squeezed him before Bucky sealed the two of them into the room.  Mina could feel the pounding of her heart, her stomach turning, she felt like she was going to throw up.

Bucky cupped her face with his hands, “Look at me.”  She did as she was told. “They’ll be fine.”

She nodded, “Yes, they’ll be fine.”

“Everything will work out.”

She nodded again, “Everything will work out.”  Repeating the words helped calm her down some.

Mina didn’t know how long they had been standing in the room together.  They couldn’t hear the sounds of fighting, no guns being fired, no sounds of magic being used.  Not even Tony or Rhodey’s suits could be heard.

She wondered what was happening out there.  If her friends were okay. She slid down the wall, taking a seat on the floor, counting in her head, trying not to think about how the walls of the room were starting to close in on her.

Bucky was pacing, he wasn’t doing any better than Mina.  He was worried about Steve and the others he had grown close to since coming back from being the Winter Soldier.  It was driving him a little mad that he couldn’t be out there helping them fight, but he needed to be here with Mina.  He knew she needed the extra support right now. 

And a little supervision.

He had no doubt that if left unsupervised she would go rushing out the doors and onto the battlefield without a second thought about herself.

A few more minutes passed and there was still no noise, no one came to get them.  Bucky wondered if they had made it inside yet or if they were still on the outside of the compound when he heard an explosion.

Mina jumped to her feet, Bucky turned toward the door.  It sounded like it had come from outside the compound. Both of them looked at each other.  Mina gulp and with a shaky voice said, “You have to go out there. You have to make sure they’re okay.”

“I can’t leave you,” he said.

“Yes you can, those are our friends out there.  I’m not going to let something happen to them because you were in here babysitting me.  Go, I’ll be fine. Peter’s still out there.” She pushed him toward the door. “Please Bucky, just go, you can come back.”

He turned and kissed her gently, “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

She nodded and watched as he unlocked the door and stepped outside.  He gave her one last shaky smile before the door closed and the lock slid into place.  She was alone in the room, and it became a bit harder to breathe.

She wrapped her arms around herself and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lost Without You by Freya Ridings is what I listened to while writing the last part of this chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Bucky raced through the compound and out the where the makeshift battlefield was located.  There were several fires spread across the grass, the trees were also on fire and he assumed that’s where the explosion had gone off.

He wondered if it was one of his friends that had done that.

His eyes scanned the group, looking for anyone that could use his held.  Natasha was fighting one of the men, and he noticed her movements were pained, but she was still holding her own.  T’Challa was fighting off two men, his vibranium suit protecting him their bullets. Then he saw Steve fighting with one of The Enclave’s men.  They were dressed much like they had been at all the compounds. Black clothes, dog tags around their necks, and black combat boots. 

The man Steve was currently fighting had his gun strapped across his back and was taking Steve on hand to hand.  Bucky raced over and yanked the man back by his dog tags. Steve took advantage of the man’s momentary confusion and punched him across the face, effectively knocking him out cold.

“Why aren’t you with Mina?”  Steve yelled over the other sounds of fighting.  He used his shield to block some fire he and Bucky were taking on.  They rushed over and took care of the two men that were shooting at them.  Steve knocking one of them out with just a swift kick and taking the butt of the gun to the guy’s face.  Bucky using his metal arm to cut off the man’s air supply long enough so that he passed out.

“She’s fine, she made me come out here.  We heard the explosion. Tell me what to do,” he shouted back once they were in the clear.

Before Steve could reply an ear-splitting ringing came from the side where the trees were.  Each of the Avengers froze in their places, hands over their ears, crying out in pain. The gunshots and other sounds of fighting seemed to stop.

“Do I have your attention?”  Came a female voice once the ringing had stopped.  The Avengers found themselves still frozen in place.  “My master sent me to ensure that none of you got in our way when we came for Mina Gaspari.”  Bucky knew the feeling that was creeping over him, it felt like Mina’s siren powers. This woman was just like Mina.  “You’re not going to move, you’re not going to fight, you’re going to let me walk into that building and take her. She belongs to us, not you.”  The woman walked over to where Bucky was, a sneer on her face, “Especially not to you, Winter Soldier.”

Bucky tried fighting against her, but there was nothing that he could do, he was frozen in place.  The woman moved through the crowd, the soldiers smirking as they knew they had the upper hand. Which he guessed right now they did have the upper hand.

He knew that Peter was doomed, and that they were going to take Mina.  He fought against the compulsion he was under, but still nothing worked.

 

Mina heard no more explosions coming from outside.  She had taken a seated position on the floor again after she felt like she might pass out.  It felt like hours since Bucky had left her in the room and there was still no sign of him. He had promised to be right back.  Had he been killed?

She stood when she heard the lock click out of place.  But she wasn’t greeted by Bucky or any of her friends.

A tall, blonde woman with dark brown eyes smiled at her.  “Hello, sister.” She stepped farther into the room making Mina back up against the wall.  Mina knew instantly that this woman was one of the other sirens. Shinsky would have sent her to make sure no one else got in her way, to control the others while they captured her.  “Don’t be afraid of me, I’m not going to hurt you. We’re sisters, I’m just here to save you.”

“I’m an only child and I don’t believe you when you say you aren’t going to hurt me,” she shot back, her eyes narrowing, a bit of bravado showing through.

The woman paused, “I would never hurt one of us, another siren.  We may not share the same blood, but we are bonded by so much more.  Our master told you that we would be coming for you. After the month was up.  And here we are. We’ve come to rescue you.”

“Kidnap,” Mina amended.  “You’ve come to kidnap me.  I never needed to be rescued, I’m right where I want to be.”

The woman’s smile slipped a bit, but she quickly recovered.  “I should introduce myself, maybe that will ease your mind some.  I’m Caterina.”

“No last name?”

“You won’t need one where we’re going.  When you go out on missions they’ll assign a name to you.”  She held out one of her perfectly manicured hands. “Come on, we’re not supposed to dally.”

Mina eyed the offered hand skeptically, “What happens if I refuse to come with you?”

“Then your friends will be instructed to turn on one another, and they will kill themselves.”

Mina knew there was no way out of this.  She was going to have to go with the fellow siren or be forced to go and watch all her friends die.  “Fine, I’ll come with you.” She squared her shoulders and stood a bit taller. “But only if my friends remained unharmed.”

“That is the deal,” Caterina turned and headed out of the little room.  “Come along.” Mina followed Caterina and when she started toward the end she saw more and more of Peter’s webbing.  Then she saw Peter standing frozen in the middle of the hall. “He put up a good fight,” Caterina informed her. “But my abilities were just a bit stronger than his.”

He reminded Mina of one of Medusa’s statues.  She forced herself to look away, she couldn’t take seeing her friend looking like that.

Outside wasn’t much better.  Little fires were scattered over the ground, and the tree line was also on fire from the explosion she had heard.  All her friends were standing frozen like Peter. She scanned the group checking to see if anyone was seriously injured.

Natasha had a gash in her side that was bleeding pretty badly.  Several of them had cuts along their faces. Wanda had a bruise already forming on her cheek.  She couldn’t tell if anyone had any broken bones.

She continued to scan the group until her eyes landed on Bucky, he was frozen next to Steve.  “Can I say goodbye?” She asked never taking her eyes off of him.

Caterina turned around, “Of course, but make it quick.”

Mina rushed over to Bucky.   “Bucky,” she sobbed.  Bucky’s eyes followed her, the only part of him that could move.  Tears streamed down Mina’s face. Mina reached up and kissed Bucky’s cheek, “I have to go with her.  It’s the only way I can keep all of you safe.” She hugged Bucky tightly, “I love you Bucky.” She moved her lips to his ear, acting as if she was just going to hug him for a few seconds longer.  “Find me,” she whispered. She pulled away and walked back over to Caterina, The Enclave goons had joined her now all of them waiting for Mina to finish her goodbyes. “How long will they be frozen?”

“Until they can no longer track us,” Caterina replied.  The group headed into the forest to a little clearing where a jet was waiting for them.  “Take off,” she ordered the pilot as soon as they were on board.

Within minutes they were in the air and heading toward The Enclave’s main base of operations.

 

Bucky stumbled as the siren’s spell wore off him and the others.  Steve rushed over to Natasha and scooped her into his arms. She groaned in pain, and winced as Steve tried to gently carry her.  She looked deathly pale, and Tony followed him inside to see if they could get her patched up.

Wanda rushed over to Bucky, she was limping slightly, and her cheek was only getting darker where the bruise had formed.  “Bucky, are you okay?” She was already checking him over for injuries, but he had joined the others too late.

“They took her,” he murmured still in a daze.  He had failed her. He had told her that he would protect her, and make sure they didn’t capture her.  “They took Mina.”

“I know,” Wanda said, her voice soft.  “But we’ll get her back. We’re not going to leave her with them.”

Bucky couldn’t imagine what kind of unspeakable horrors they would do to her once they got back to The Enclave’s headquarters.  How they were going to wipe him and everyone else from her mind, turn them into the enemies in her mind. “She said she loved me and then she just left with them,” his voice was hoarse and he was fighting back tears.  “Wanda we have to go, we have to go now.”

Pietro was there beside him, he was holding his side and Bucky noticed some red staining his suit.  He had been hit with a stray bullet, but it wasn’t bad and it didn’t hit any of his main arteries or organs.  “As much as I would love to go kick their asses and get our Little Mina back, we can’t. We’re not ready for a fight on their turf, we barely lasted here.”  He winced as she took in a breath. “Natasha looks like she’s on the verge of death, I’ve been shot. Clint had several fingers broken. We need time.”

Bucky felt like the world had just been ripped out from under him, she was gone, he should never have left her alone.  “We’ll get her back, Bucky,” Wanda said over and over again trying to bring some comfort to him while also trying to convince herself of that.  “They need her alive, just hold onto that.” And he would, until he saw her returned to him safe and sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd be able to post this today because my power went out, but thankfully it came back on. I think there will be one more chapter of this one and then we're on to book three!


	14. Chapter 14

The Enclave’s laboratory and headquarters came into view as the jet slowly started its descent.  It looked modern, made out of glass, steel, and some concrete. The windows gleamed in the sunlight as the jet approached.  Identical jets waiting unused on the landing pads. Mina could make out little figures walking around, doing duties or training exercises.  

Caterina stepped up beside Mina, a smile on her lips.  “Isn’t it wonderful?” She pointed at the upper levels of the building.  “Those are our living quarters. You’ll be given your own room and you can meet the others tonight at dinner.  Everyone will be there to welcome you home. The other girls are excited to meet you.”

Mina looked at the woman, this other siren, “Are you a hundred percent okay with this?  They just kidnapped me, and they want to use my abilities to take over the world.” She figured this woman had been brainwashed by The Enclave, she seemed too willing about all of this.

“They want to help the world.  With us, there will be peace. A world with no war, not arguments, no overlords.  It will be a Utopia.”

Mina knew better, when people started talking about a Utopian society it usually wasn’t as perfect as they made it out to be.  She kept her mouth shut though, she didn’t want to start something with this woman or the others on the jet. Survival was the only thing on her mind, survive until the others came for her.

When the door opened she saw Shinsky standing there with a grin on his face.  “Caterina, my dear, you brought her back home.” Caterina squealed and launched herself into his arms.  After a moment he set her down gently and walked over to Mina. “My darling Siren Song, you’re home.”

She shrunk away from his touch, “Don’t put a finger on me.”  He made her skin crawl.

He sighed, “Still shy, well that will all change soon enough.  Come along, we must get you settled into your new room. Dinner is soon and then you need your rest, you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”

Mina reluctantly followed Caterina and Shinsky inside the building.  It was modern, all the latest technologies being used to keep the facility safe and running in perfect condition.  Guards, scientists, and other women Mina assumed were other sirens commingled with one another in the open spaces. Lounges were scattered across the main level of the building. 

When they passed by one of the labs on their way to the elevator Mina saw three men staring at her with unreadable expressions.  They had to be the other scientists that worked alongside Shinsky.

She ducked her head and kept walking, she didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself.  In the elevator Mina grew tenser as she stood close to Shinsky, trying as hard as she could to keep from brushing up against him.

She wished Bucky were here, she wished she could take his hand.  But he was safe for the moment and that was all that mattered. Her friends were safe and as long as they were out there, they would put an end to this.

Caterina disappeared the minute the elevator doors opened leaving Mina and Shinsky alone.  “We dress for dinner my darling,” they moved slowly down the hall. “I’ve already picked out a dress for you and you will sit by my side at the table of honor.  We’ll welcome you home tonight.”

Mina wanted to kill him where he stood, she wanted to burn him with her fire, but she knew she would never make it out of there alive if she did.  She had to bide her time. “What if I don’t want to be sitting at the table of honor?”

One minute they were walking down the hall the next she was being slammed against the wall, his hand around her throat.  Pain bloomed in her lower back, and she was struggling to breathe. “Listen to me, and listen to me well my Siren Song, you will come to dinner tonight in the dress I have picked out.  And tomorrow you will forget all about your little boy toy, the love of your life. You will remember me, and only me. This is your life now, is that understood?”

“Yes,” she managed to choke out.

He released her and she gasped for air.  “Good, now come along.” He stopped her in front of a door and pressed a button to open it.  “This door will lock behind you, you won’t be able to get out unless one of your sisters comes to get you or I personally see you to dinner.  It will lock again tonight once you are brought to bed, and it will stay that way until we are sure your previous life has been erased from your memories.”  He shoved her inside. “I will see you at dinner.” The door slid shut and she heard the lock click into place.

Mina sank to the floor, her knees hitting the dark hardwood.  She curled in on herself wishing she was anywhere but there.

 

Bucky wanted the footage of the jet flying off over and over, trying to decide which way it headed.  It was probably heading toward their main base, the one they couldn’t attack yet. He slammed his fists down on the table.  Everyone in the room jumped a little at the sound. They had all been silent in the hours following the attack.

Peter had comforted Shuri as she cried into his shoulders.  T’Challa looked like he wanted to take his claws and tear everything to shreds.  Natasha, still pale but no longer in danger of dying, had a blank look on her face.  The lethal calm not betraying what she was really feeling.

“Bucky,” Steve’s voice was barely a whisper. 

“Don’t,” he threatened.  “I need to be alone right now.”  He stalked off to his and Mina’s room.  The door slammed shut behind him and he breathed in her scent.  He looked at her things and he thought for a moment that maybe she would come walking out of the bathroom, her hair dripping wet, a towel wrapped around her.  But the bathroom was dark and he didn’t hear the sounds of her singing softly in Italian.

His computer began to ring, alerting him that someone was trying to video chat.  He walked over and accepted the call. “Hello Mr. Barnes,” it was the voice of Shinsky, but he couldn’t see him, all he could see was Mina standing in a lavish room.  “Our little Siren has made it home.”

Mina was zipping up a floor-length gown almost robotically.  Her eyes were red and puffy like she had been crying. “Mina,” her name slipped past his lips, and he gripped the back of the desk chair.

“She just arrived a little bit ago, enjoy this sight.  This is the Mina you know and love, but tomorrow is a new dawn for her.  She will forget you and the Avengers, and that she ever loved you. And know this Mr. Barnes, she will be the one that finally kills you.  Beautiful isn’t she? Enjoy.”

Shinsky’s voice disappeared, but he continued to watch Mina.  Two girls entered the room, one with long, red hair, the other with box braids.  Mina turned to them her hands igniting with her turquoise flames, but when she saw who was in the room she extinguished them.  There was a defeated look on her face, as she knew there was nothing she could do.

The women sat her down at the vanity and began doing her hair, one took a pair of scissors and began cutting it.  She didn’t go too short, but Bucky hated the thought of anyone trimming her hair. 

Mina sat there stoically, a far-off look in her eye as the two woman continued to work.  No one said anything. When they were done, they helped her stand and she disappeared from view.  It drove Bucky mad not knowing where they were taking her and what they were about to do.

An hour later she returned alone and she curled up on the bed, Bucky could see her body shaking with sobs.  “I’ll find you, doll,” he whispered.

The feed went black and he couldn’t see her anymore.

 

Mina woke up to sunlight streaming into the room.  She was confused as to where she was, but then she remembered she had been kidnapped by The Enclave the night before.  She had been forced to sit through dinner and listen to Shinsky prattle on about the future.

She was still in the gown, she hadn’t bothered to take it off when she had gotten back to the room, and she was pretty sure she had streaks of makeup running down her face from all the crying she had done.

She slowly sat up and headed into the bathroom.  She watched her face so it was makeup free and then changed into one of the identical pairs of scrubs she had in her closet.  She guessed she would get a better wardrobe when she wasn’t herself anymore.

The door to her room opened and Caterina entered with her bright smile.  “Are you ready?”

Mina nodded, “What are they going to do to me?”

“Nothing painful,” Caterina promised.  “They just need to make sure that your previous life doesn’t get in the way of your true mission.”

Mina gave the woman a curious look, “Didn’t they do this to you?”

Caterina shook her head, “I was raised here.  My parents never wanted me and I was a sickly baby.  So Shinskey took me in and gave me these gifts. You need to trust him and the others.  They only want what’s best for you.”

Mina doubted that as she thought back to the night before when Shinsky pushed her against the wall.

They made their way to the first floor and to the lab Mina had passed the night before.  A chair had been set up in the middle. “This is where I leave you,” Caterina stopped just outside the lab.  “They’ll take good care of you.”

Mina turned toward the door and saw Shinsky standing there waiting for her.  “Come in, we’re all ready for you.” She stepped inside and he gently guided her toward the chair.  “Don’t worry too much, nothing we do will hurt you. When you wake up you won’t remember anyone from your past life.  You will have a clean slate, and with your help, we will reshape the world into a better one.”

Someone stuck a needle into her arm and the world began to grow fuzzy.  “I don’t feel good,” she slurred as the room began to spin.

“Any moment now,” Shinsky said, and then the world went dark.

Mina floated in the darkness, she clung to the memories of her life.  Her parents, their restaurant in New York, the first day she met Steve, the first time she saw Bucky.  Her time in Wakanda with Shuri and T’Challa, her first kiss with Bucky. The night before they left Wakanda, Bucky’s lips on hers trailing across her skin.

But slowly those memories started to slip out of her reach.  “No!” She screamed into the darkness. One by one they slipped through her fingers until she could only remember her name.  

Mina.

She was Mina.

And then there was another name, Wladyslav Shinsky.  He was her master. He had saved her after her parents had thrown her away.  She had grown up with The Enclave. They had saved her. Yes, she remembered now.  This was her home.

“My darling Siren Song?”  She heard the familiar voice, knowing instantly it was her master.  “Can you hear me?”

She blinked open her eyes, trying to adjust to the light.  “Yes, master,” she said in a dreamy like manner. All traces of the previous Mina Gaspari were gone.  The members of The Enclave smiled at one another.

Time to start phase two of their plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to write a short story showing her transition from Avenger to Enclave member in the After Effects Series Extras because book three starts several months after her capture. But this is the end of book two!


End file.
